48 



in the spring and again in the autumn if sufficient hair has 

 grown. The annual yield of hair is about 4 chittanks for each 

 goat. As goat's hair fetches about Rs. 10 or Rs. 15 a maund the 

 value of the hair (jat) is little more than 1 anna for each goat. 

 The hair is sold to camel meu or banias and is made up into 



- ropes, sacks arid mats. 



The undressed skins like those of sheep are sold to traders 

 who collect for the export trade at Amritsar and elsewhere. The 

 skins are also used locally for shoes and bags. A goat's skin is 

 rather more valuable than that of a sheep, and fetches from Re. 

 1 to Re. 1-8-0. 



The male stock both of sheep and goacs are largely disposed 

 | of for meat. The average plains sheep will fetch about Rs. 5 and 

 the goat about Rs. 6 t the butcher making perhaps Rs. 2 in each 

 case. But the Kulu sheep specially fed for the Simla market 

 sells for Rs. 8 and the butcher's profit by sale of meat is as much 

 as Rs. 5. 



XX. ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT AND 

 LOCAL BODIES. 



The principal forms which Government assistance has 

 hitherto taken are (1) the cattle-breeding establishment at Hissar, 

 (2) the free distribution of bulls by the District Boards, (3) the 

 management of cattle fairs and provision of prizes for good 

 stock, (4) the grant of taJckavi loans for replacement of agricultural 

 cattle, and (5) the creation and expansion of the Civil Veterinary 

 Department. 



No mention need be made here of Military Grass and Dairy 

 Farms as their influence, though undoubtedly of educational value, 

 is chiefly confined to cantonments. 



(I). The Hissar Cattle Farm. The principal object of the 

 institution, so far as cattle are concerned, is to provide a good 

 i animal for transport purposes. Prior to 1902 the class of animal 

 load in the farm was extremely mixed. Bulls and cows had been 

 purchased from all parts of India and allowed to breed indiscrimi- 

 nately. The original local stock had consequently been crossed 

 with a large admixture of Gujrat and Mysore blood. 



Since 1902 the object of the breeding operations has been 

 to return as far as possible to the local type still characteristic 

 of the Hissar District. The success has been very great and the 

 bullock now issued is a powerful animal, possessing great bone 



- and extremely symmetrical. The large horns and black colour of 

 the Gujrat breeds have practically disappeared. This result was 



