Live Stock. 



44 



[January, 1910. 



It is evident that much remains to be 

 done in the matter ot definite control of 

 the breeding of animals for the produc- 

 tion of improved kinds, and of obtaining 

 carefully separated strains for definite 

 purposes. The efforts made in this 

 direction should not be confined to the 

 importation of pedigree animals, but a 

 definite and continuous selection of the 

 dams, with certain ends in view, should 

 be made, with the result that individuals 

 will be obtained whose character has an 

 intimate and useful connexion with the 

 purpose for which they are used. In 

 this way, a greater intensive efficiency 

 of both the large and smaller animals 

 may be gained. 



RECENT EXPORTS OP HIGH-CLASS 

 INDIAN CATTLE. 



By E. Shearer. 



(Prom the Agricultural Journal of 

 India, Vol, IV., Part IV., October, 1909. 



During late years there has been a 

 considerable and increasing exportation 

 of the best of our Indian breeds of 

 cattle to various parts of the world. 

 The agents deputed to select these cattle 

 have paid and are paying very high 

 prices for those selected. The exports 

 have chiefly gone to Africa, North and 

 South America, the Straits Settlements, 

 the West Indies and the Dutch East 

 Indies. 



No harm to India is being done as a 

 demand of this sort must encourage 

 the breeding of high-class cattle if it 

 is definitely made known to breeders 

 that the demand is likely to continue. 



Professor Wallace, of Edinburgh, who 

 is at present travelling in America, 

 communicates the following information 

 from Chicago :—" I have seen on the 

 Pierce Estate, Texas, a lot of 23 pure 

 bred Indian c attle, nearly all bulls, 

 which at great expense were imported 

 by the Trustee, Mr. A. P. Bordin, 

 fully two years ago. The Gujarat, 

 Hissar, Krishna Valley, Nellore and Gir 

 breeds are all represented. The cross- 

 ing with the "range" cows of the 

 country has been most successful. The 

 young cattle are a decided improve- 

 ment in size on the indigenous stock. 

 Ticks do not live on them and flies do 

 not trouble them much. I really 

 think that the Indian cross is the one 

 for the hot Southern States where 

 European cattle do not do well, cannot 



keep fat and do not breed regularly. 

 This is very much the same problem 

 as I found in Rhodesia last year, and 

 it may probably be solved by obtain- 

 ing a strong blend of Indian blood." 



The justly reputed Gujarat and Nellore 

 breeds which have the advantage of 

 being found near the shipping ports 

 have hitherto been most in demand for 

 export. They are not heavy milkers, 

 but they are unsurpassed in India as 

 draught cattle, and for this purpose 

 and for crossing with the range cattle 

 they are becoming popular abroad. 

 India is not usually regarded as the 

 home of milch breeds, and the tendency 

 has been to import (with the scantiest 

 of success) rather than to export the 

 latter, but from Karachi considerable 

 numbers of Sindi cows, the best of 

 which are good milkers, find their way 

 every year to the Duch East Indies. 

 If India can produce a really good strain 

 of milch cow, there is little doubt that 

 there will be a large demand for it at 

 remunerative prices, in America and 

 Africa and the East and West Indian 

 Islands. In the Montgomery breed, 

 which is closely related to the Sindi 

 breed mentioned above, we have the 

 material from which to develop 

 such a strain. The average yield of milk 

 in the Pusa herd of 39 Montgomery 

 cows last year was over 4,000 lbs. One 

 cow gave 6,300 lbs., another 5,700 lbs. and 

 several over 5,000 lbs. In Mr. Keventer's 

 herd at Simla a Montgomery cow gave 

 just about 7,000 lbs. in her last milking 

 period. The percentage of butter fat 

 in the milk is high, averaging probably 

 4*5 to 5 per cent. Montgomery cat tie 

 are small and shapely, having well'de- 

 veloped bodies supported on rather 

 short clean legs. The head is neat, with 

 fairly short horns, and the tail is long 

 and thin, almost sweeping the ground. 

 There is a wide range of colours including 

 red, red and white, black, black and 

 white, white, grey and various spotted 

 colours, but the best cows are perhaps 

 most frequently red or red and white. 

 The cows are exceptionally docile and 

 good-tempered. The young stock ma- 

 ture comparatively early, heifers at 

 Pusa having their first calves at 2^ to 

 3 years old. The male stock develop 

 into good work cattle. The breed seems 

 to adapt itself very readily to changes 

 of climate, doing well in the arid tracts 

 of its original home in the Montgomery 

 District of the Punjab, in the moist 

 climate of Behar and at altitudes of 

 over 7,000 feet in the Himalayas. 



