CATTtTC SURVEY OF THE AMRITSAB DISTRICT. 5 



mortality was very severe both among cattle and goats. The year was a 

 very unhealthy one both for animals and human beings. Bulls and 

 bullocks show a decrease of 1 2 per cent, and cows 1 1 per cent, over the pre- 

 vious census returns. The primary cause was the excessive rainfall in the 

 autumn of 1908 (93 per cent, above the normal). The floods destroyed 

 a large precentage of the forage crops especially in the Ajnala Tahsil. 

 As mentioned in Chapter IV under diseases of cattle, a large number of 

 cattle, goats and sheep died of ' gillar, ' a disease to which impoverished 

 cattle are very susceptible. A large number of animals died of starva- 

 tion also and they were not included generally in the disease returns. 

 In addition many were sold at the Amritsar fairs owing to their owners 

 being unable to provide food for them. The majority of these were pro- 

 bably practically useless for purposes of agriculture and milk production. 

 A glance at the figures for the province will show that Amritsar was 

 exceptional in its losses which were due to special local conditions. 



11. It may ba stated that whatever Amritsar District may have been 



in the past it is no longer a cattle-breeding district 

 Breeds of cattle . , c _ 



in the broad acceptance of the term, neither does it 



produce any special breed. At one time the Manjha was celebrated for 

 superior cattle especially in the more pastoral pnrts of the Lahore District. 

 But since the tract has come under flow irrigation there has been in- 

 sufficient grazing and the cattle have become mainly stall-fed. The con- 

 sequence is that the Manjha is no longer a distinct breed, most of the best 

 bullocks being imported from cattle-breeding districts. It may be said, 

 however, that the Manjha cattle are superior to any others in the Amritsar 

 District in point of size and quality, and it is possible that some of the 

 characteristics of the true Manjha type still persist. The cultivators 

 in that part of the district are more disposed to keep a better class of 

 animal than those in other parts of the district. Moreover the work 

 demands the keeping of good bullocks both for plough and transport* 

 Trotting bullocks are not in much demand as the people usually either 

 ride ponies or walk. Moreover roads and railways are fairly convenient 

 ia the Amritsar District. The original Manjha type was a very compact 

 and bturdy animal usually grey in colour. The Manjha agriculturists 



