Live Stock. ( 



Another important need is that the 

 breeding of heavy draft cattle will 

 supply us beasts of a certain weight to 

 draw agricultural implements ; at present 

 it is found not possible to work 

 the best and most economic ploughs, etc, 

 (as for instance the disc plough imported 

 by Government and found unworkable 

 as per report of the last Agricultural 

 Board meeting) because draft power of 

 sufficient weight is not available. 

 Estate proprietors will, no doubt, avail 

 themselves of the advantage, as it will 

 pay them to plough the land rather than 

 turn the soil by coolies, as is at present 

 done, the work being done better, and 

 at less than half the price. — Ceylon 

 Independent," October, 22, 1908. 



The Government Veterinary Surgeon 

 Remarks with Regard to this :— 



As regards cattle the question is more 

 a matter for private enterprise. Cattle 

 owners do not take sufficient interest in 

 the matter themselves and will not do 

 so, however much demonstration is given 

 to them. 



Ceylon is not a " grazing " country, and 

 beyond the forests there is very little 

 for cattle to live upon. Once land is 

 clearedtea, coffee, coconuts, rubber, etc., 

 are grown, and there is no grazing for 

 cattle. Native cattle used even to 



' [January, 1909. 



scanty fare starve by scores. Excellent 

 cattle, both Indian and European, have 

 been imported for years but speedily 

 degenerate. It therefore seems useless 

 to breed and supply cattle requiring 

 more and better food. 



Many owners, when asked if they want 

 a stud bull sent to their districts, say 

 they do not, as the cost of feeding larger 

 animals is prohibitive; and, in those in- 

 stances where good bulls have been sent 

 to a district, the result has generally 

 been a failure— the bull eventually dying 

 due to want of good food. 



Any land-owner opening up land as a 

 farm would be deserving of every assis- 

 tance and would no doubt get it. Then 

 comes the question of market, it is very 

 doubtful if paying prices could be 

 obtained. 



G. W. Sturgess. 



Government Veterinary Surgeon. 



[This question of the more and better 

 food wanted by better cattle is usually 

 lost sight of by advocates of "improve- 

 ment." It must be clearly recognised 

 that agricultural matters are, like a 

 game of spillikins, fitting into one 

 another in an extraordinary way, and 

 it is consequently impossible to make a 

 sudden and rapid advance.— Ed.] 



