.12 CATTLE SURVEY OF THE AMRITSAR mSTBICT. 



of bullocks disarranged the economic scales. The consequence is that 

 there is a decided tendency to return to cow keeping. In the interval the 

 cows have deteriorated in quality and fallen off in numbers. 



A study of the Provincial figures for the last cattle census shows that 

 with the exception of Karnal there are more buffaloes to the acre in Amrit- 

 sar District than in any other in the Punjab, the percentage working out 

 to *15 to the acre. Karnal District, however, contains a large number of 

 cows as well as buffaloes. In 20 districts there are more cows to the acre 

 than buffaloes (male and female) and in 9 there are more buffaloes than 

 cows. In Amritsar there are les-s cows in proportion to buffaloes than in 

 any other district in the Punjab. Amritsar then is well supplied with 

 buffaloes. 



There is no special breed though those found in the Manjha are superior 

 in size and quality. The increased facility of communications and the 

 increase in the number of fairs is all against special breeds especially as 

 the people themselves do not take any intelligent interest in the matter, 



The buffaloes of the Manjha are large animals with scanty hair, fine 

 skins and long thin tails, all marks of good quality. Most of them have 

 well developed mammary glands and are good milkers. The animals that 

 are preferred to any others are called "Kundi," i.e., they have small 

 spirally twisted horns. Black (kali) buffaloes are more popular than 

 brown (bhuri) but the latter are not generally objected to. 



The favourite colour is black with a white star and white legs (panj 

 kalyan). An animal with two " wall" eyes (billi) is considered lucky. 

 One " wall" eye (kamandli) is unpopular. 



Buffaloes do very well in the " bet " lands and large herds may be 

 seen sometimes. They thrive well on the coarse grasses of these low- 

 lying pastures. Unfortunately a large number die from hsemorrhagic 

 septicaemia which ia endemic in low-lying villages. It is particularly 

 virulent after rian and buffaloes, particularly the young ones, are highly 

 susceptible. 



