652 CATTLE AND DAIKY FAKMIHG. 



ASIA. 



CATTLE IN SYRIA. 



REPORT BY CONSUL ROBESON, OF BEIRUT. 



In compliance with Department circular dated July 18, 1883, desir- 

 ing information relative to breeding cattle, which will be of use to stock- 

 raisers in the United States, I have now the honor to submit my report 

 on the breeding, raising, &c., of cattle in this part of Turkey. 



BREEDS F CATTLE IN SYRIA. 



It will be seen from the accompanying table that there are three breeds 

 of cattle in Syria: Joulany (of Bashan); Belady (native or common); 

 Haysy (of Damascus). "' 



The Joulany breed are black in color, and are supposed to have been 

 originally brought from Bashan, in the eastern country beyond the Jor- 

 dan. They are well formed and hardy, and the meat is sweet and ten- 

 der. (The natives of this country use but little if any beef.) The gross 

 average weight of the Joulany at three years old may be put down as 

 follows : The bull and ox from 500 to 600 pounds ; the cow from 450 to 

 500 pounds. The Belady differs very little from the Joulany in weight 

 or form. In color they are, as a rule, dark-brown, but vary. 



Both of the above-named breeds are used for plowing, in fact all the 

 plowing in Syria is done by cattle neither horses, mules, nor camels 

 being used for the cultivation of the soil. 



The Haysy breed (Damascene) are reddish-brown in color, slightly 

 larger than either the Joulany or the Belady, and are considered the 

 best breed for milk and butter. There is very little attention given, 

 however, to the breeding and raising of cattle in Syria. 



BREEDING AND RAISING SYRIAN CATTLE. 



The natives generally breed from bulls before they are two years of age, 

 instead of mature animals; nor do they give any special attention to 

 feeding or housing; they have no barns or sheds for housing cattle or 

 other stock. The cattle are generally kept in the yard of the owner 

 when not grazing in the commons or plowing. The grazing is rather 

 poor in most parts of the country, but in the Hauran and the plains of 

 Damascus, the pastures are good for six or seven months in the year. 

 (From May till October we have no rain, consequently, where the land 

 is not irrigated, the vegetation dries up.) In the Lebanon Mountain 

 the cattle are generally left to graze on the hills during the summer 

 season ; the grazing being very poor they become very thin. In autumn 

 mulberry and grape-vine leaves are gathered and given for food to cat- 

 tle, while during the winter they are fed with wheat straw, cut fine, and 

 the dry residue of the mulberry leaves left by the silk- worms. In some 

 parts of the Bekaah plains the peasants raise buffalo, which give 

 abundant supplies of rich milk ; but these animals are not good for 

 beef. The peasants who raise the most if not all of the cattle in this 



