412 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [June 2, 1920, 



on when the cactus campaign was closed ; that the animals would die, and when it was 

 found that animals did not die, that they would die oti in the rains. This prophecy still 

 obtains among cactus opponents. 



Villagers visit the camps and kitchens with their cattle, or ask to be allowed to take 

 some rations away to their villages ; where possible, choppers, bellows and prongs are 

 giren them. Many come to Mr. J5eytz's bungalow for instruction, and while I was there 

 two very tine cattle in splendid condition were brought by their owner to be taught to 

 eat cactus. I have seen cattle brought in by their owners eat their ration for the first 

 time straight away. 



Cattle which had not the strength to raise themselves from the ground two months 

 ago in some of the camps are now able to do light work ait the inhote and to pull the 

 cactus carts. Mr. Beytz purchased many miserable animals in the last stage of 

 exhaustion from the butchers for a few rupees, and after feeding I hem on cactus 

 preparation has sold them to the ryots for three times the purchase money. Mortality 

 was very heavj^ before the cactus campaign started. One owner told me he lost .seven 

 of his cattle that he had fed on grass purchased for Rs. 2,000, and that he had lest none 

 since he took to cactus. The mortality in the cactus camps has been slight. 



At present there are over 34,000 cattle feeding on cactus, and it would have been 

 utterly impossible to find grass or kadbi to feed these cattle. They would require at 

 Ifast eight pounds of grass or kadbi a day (a low all-over daily average for cattle and 

 young stock) ; some '272,000 pounds, or over 80 lakhs per month. This amount of grass 

 could not be obtained. • 



At the Commissioners request a report from Lieutenant-Colonel 



G. K. Walker, the Superintendent of the Civil Veterinary Department of 



the Bombay Presidency, was made and is attached to Mr. Mountford's 



report. This is what he says : — 



I have visited cattle camps in the Ahmednagar and Poona districts where cattle are 

 being fed on prickly pear, and recently I made a detailed inspection in the Ahmednagar 

 district in this connection. I paid surprise visits to a number of villages in various 

 directions where the fodder was being used, and visited certain camps. I also visited 

 the charitable camp at Ahmednagar where the cattle were being fed on dried grass and 

 kadbi, no prickly pear being used. 



I can bear out the Hon. Mr. Mountford's statements in every particular. There can 

 be no doubt that cattle can be maintained on prickly pear when necessary without harm. 

 It is not claimed that it ranks as a good fodder, and it should be supplemented with a 

 certain amount of dried grass if possible, in addition to some proportion of concentrate. 

 Cattle require a proportion of green fodder to keep in good health, and the dry grass 

 that passes as hay in this country is frecjuently so inferior and innutritions that it causes 

 internal disorders, especially in debilitated cattle. Animals have their idiosyncrasies, and 

 there may be cases where prickly pear causes indigestion, especially if it is improperly 

 prepared. It is essential that all the prickles should be removed. Like all green fodders 

 it produces some looseness in the bowels, which is considered normal to cattle in 

 countries where green fodder is conmion. Any excessive looseness can bo remedied 

 usually by supplying fodder in intelligent proportions. Diarrhtca in cattle in the rains 

 is comniou from various causes. 



I beg to say that in my opinion the cactus fodder campaign, particularly in the 

 Ahmednagar district, has been a great success, and that by the aid of this fodder a very 

 large number of cattle that would otherwise have died have been saved. The work in 

 the Poona district has also been efi"ectual. A very pleasing feature in this Ahmednagar 

 distrift is the obvious satisfaction of the cattle-owners when once they have been 

 persuaded to take up the methocj. They have learned to appreciate its advantages, and 

 ia many places their own arrangements are well devised and working well. 



" A SOIL in good tilth is almost invariably a productive one. jirovided seasonal 

 conditions are favouj'able." — Frank T. Shutt, D.Sc, Dominion Chemist, 

 Canadian Department of Agi'iculture. 



" TiiB Gazette is a great help. It is often of real service to the man on the 

 land." — An Ingleburn correspondent. 



