breeds of indian cattle 1895

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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE.

NOTEON

THE CATTLE OF MYSOREBY

A. KRISTNASAMIENGAR, B.A., ANDCAPTAIN H. T. PEASE, P.Z.S.

Assistant to Inspector General, l.e.V.D.IN TH E YEAR

CALCUTTASUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PIUNTING, INDIA1912


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PREFACE.THESE notes were collected during the period whenI held the appointment of Assistant InspectorGeneral in charge of the Cattle Branch. Mr. Rickettsof the Mysore Forest DepartIp.ent framed' the ori16inalnote, which was added to and corrected by me. I t was. at h ~ l a c e d in the hands of Mr. A. Kristnasamiengar,B.A., who thoroughly revised it and added muchoriginal material. ~

H. T. PEASE, cor, C.LE.,Inspector General, Civil Veterinary Dept.

The 16th Dec. 1911'.


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BREh1JS OF INDIAN CATTLE.

NOTE ON THE CATTLE Of MYSORE.By A. Kristnasamiengar, B.A., and CaptainH. T. Pease, F.Z.S., in the year 1895.

INTRODUCTORY. Mysore has from a very early period enjoyed a just History.renown for her superior breed of cattle. The generally mildand salubrious climate of the plateau, with extensive past..ure on which cultivation had not made muoh inroad, favoredcattle-breeding and attracted Gollas and other noDladic tribesfrom the north who brought with them exoellent breeds, whichbeing established for generations in the country and mixingwith the indigenous cattle have improved them. Besides thisthe :rulers of the Province took an active interest in the matter,maintaining great herds of breeding cattle and managingthem properly, thus affording a good example to the peoplegenerally. The Royal herds must naturally have in:fluencedcattle-breeding greatly in the parts 'Where their grallinggrounds lay 88, no doubt, the village cattle got the services of

the bull very often. The people could scarcely fail to prontby the lessons in breeding to be learnt from the Amrut Mualestablishment and were brought to recognise the importanceof selection and segl'C!S8tion. Thus oattle-breeding :flourishedin the tract and ~ breeds resulted. Cattle constitute thelife and soul of agrio1abure. They perform the whole of the.cultural draught nrk. The substance of a raiyat i.euaUy rated by tile n l ' he owns and of the ploughs hep h . Cattle are intUd y associated in the domestic inoi-fa of the people. 'present of a cow with a few acres0"1 !and to the bridegroom i8 a notable part of the marriage

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Cattle fairs,

A Mysoreca.ttle fairdescribed.

I ) BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSOR1!!.ceremonial. The present of a cow and land is also a 'part ofthe Brahmanical obsequies. So useful are cattle in contributing to the existence and comfort of man, and so highly arethey esteemed, that it is no wonder that in primitive times,and e{)en to a certain extent at present, the people shoulcfvenerate them as objects of worship. Cattle-breeding is pur-

'J sued nearly all over the Province, except in the Malnad on thewestern parts of Mysore, which is covered with dense forestscreated by heavy and continuous rain fatal to cattle. Everyraiyat !,l,lmost is a cattle-breeder, and every village a cattlemart. Many great annual cattle fairs are held in various parts of the Province and satisfy a real want. Numbers of themare held at different times in different parts of the ,Pro'Vince,and they constitute the centres from which the whole countryis supplied with agricultural and draught cattle. Even the

d i s ~ r i c t s of the neighbouring British provinces depend in ameasure on them for their cattle supply. The :airs are') generally the ostensible accompaniment of some great religious festival. , They follow each other in convenient succession, so that cattle not' sold in one, may 'be taken to another.

The great cattle :fair at 'Tiruvanamalai in the South AreotDistrict, in the Madras Presidency, is supplied mostly with'Mysore cattle, or kindred breeds from the neighbouring taluksof the Salem District, which, -it is understood, find th\:l'ir wayeven into Ceylon. A list of the important fairs, with datesand the breeds sold, will be found on page 59. A briefaccount of one of the largest of them held in this Provincemay not be uninteresting. The scene of this annual fair isnear the "Ghat," through which the Bangaldre-HindupurRailway debouches from the> Dodbalapur tableland, into thecomparatively plain country beyond. The locality seems tohave been selected on account of the large picketing ground itaffords, the supply of firewood which the scrub jungle offers,and the good water supply furnished by a rivulet that skirtsit. For some miles around it there are very few inhabitedvillages, and this circumstance ensures plenty of room for thecattle to roam about. The fair is looked forward to witheagerness not only by those who have to buy and sell cattle,but 111so by pilgrims and sight-seers by whom it is c r o w d e d ~ l" Dallals 11 or brokers are an imp()rtant institution here. Fordays together, shings of cattle and carts laden with provisionfor man and best, may be seen wending their fway by almostim'practicable cart tracks which, winding round hillocks and


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 3throughOvalleys, lead up to this, for the time, great centre ofactivity. The spot, desolate except at this season, presents ananimated scene. A.n area of about two square miles is crammedwith eattle, carts, and men. On rough computation, it ISestimated that 10,000 carts and 3D,OOO bullocks are colfectea.One remarkable circumstance is the entire absence of cows.Bulls and bullocks of various breeds, age!,!, and colors are' .gathered there. Calves under one year are collected in a wellknown corner. The predominant breed offered for gale is theBettadana, or Mahadeswara betta breed. There are exbibitedbu!locks, suited for various purposes, for the plough, forheavy carts and light draught, and a few of these are priced'as high as R700 the pair. There 'are large-sized bulls fattened up and in excellent condition, with jingling bells round. tp.eir necks and caparisoned with cloths of various and picfuresque colors and designs, on which are wrought curiopsand fantastic figures. During the first days OI the gatheringthe prices rule high, and few transactions are effected exceptin cattle destined for butcher's meat. In former times raiyatswere superstitiously averse to selling cattle Ior slaughter, butideas have, in this respect, undergone a change, and hundredsof agents may be seen successfully bargaining for inferiorcattle intended for the slaughter-house. During this periodOI apparent inactivity, many a sidelong glance is cast at. thedesired purchase, and brokers are busily engaged in estimating the demand and the number d cattle offered for sale.Towards the latter half of the week during which the fairlasts, transactions are brisk and thousands of cattle and manythousands of rupees change hands. The immen.se gatheringthen begins gradually to disperse.

BREEDING.Two varieties of cattle exist side by side in Mysore, each 0 b d f n reeSQserving its own partIcular purpose. The first and by far the cattle inmost numerous of these is known as "N adudana" or village Mysore.

cattle, of small size, compact frame, and various colors.Exery village in the Province teems with them. They con-stitute tihe bulk of the agricultural stock, and are the mainsource of dairy produce. The second is termed "Doddadana'Y(big cattle), and consists of the less numerous; but more effi-cient and valuable animals of more uniform si.ze and color;they are more often employed in carting than in agricuiture,HZ


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4 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.and are largely sold in cattle markets. The term ,1' Doddadana" embraces the Amrut Mahal, Hallikar, Chitaldroog,Mahadeswq.ra betta, and their kindred breeds. Cattle of thisdescription are owned only by well-to-do raiyats and breeders.

B e s i d ' ~ the professional breeder, every raiyat who has a littlecapital rears a few cattle. There is a convenient division of" labour in this matter. There are those who keep herds of cowsand bulls for breeding purposes, mostly in the vicinity ofgrazing hills and lowland Iorests. Calves OI one or two yearsare bought from the,m by ,raiyats, who rear them with muchcare for two or three years, and send'them for sale at the cattle .. >fairs.

Nadudanaor Yillagecattle.

,)

'fhe whole breeding operations of the country are carriedDE by means of three descriptions of bul l s : -

(a) choice bulls of the "Doddadana" breeds, kept invillages and hQme-:fed, allowed to graze on villagecrops, or kept with the herds in the jungle pasturi!s; these may be styled special superior breeding bulls;

(b) calves of "Doddadana" bought when young andreared in villages, destined for agriculture or saleafter castration, but employed as sires meanwhile;these may be styled casual good breeding bulls;they are moderately good, though inferior to thefirst named for b r e e d i n g ~ and being permitted tocover before castration, make less efficient agricultural and draught cattle;

(c) the numerous small-sized and more or less ia-shapedyoung males of "N adudana," herding with thevillage cattle and breeding them down lower andlower; these may be styled" NaGJ'u" bulls.

" Naduclana" or village cattle are left entirely to themselves without any control and without any of those artificialrestrictions by which alone a breed can be saved :from deterioration when living under artificial conditions in whichthey are placed by domestication. Seldom is any selection ofbreeding cows and bulls made with reference to their fitneGl'lfor producing a vigorous and healthy progeny. The slaughterof cows is rar\and any cow, however deformed or diminutive,is allowed to reed. Inferior and defective bulls are generally uncastratecl. The common practice of driving al l thevillage cattle in one herd to graze leads to indiscriminate


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"BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.breeding. Most village cows are from these various causes sosmall and of such little value that the owners do not thinkit worth their while to get superior bulls to serve them.rhese bulls are not plentiful, and, when available, h a v ~ t o belaid for service, which payment the owner of a puny cownaturally grudgoo. In many instances, beIore the ownermakes up his mind, the village bull forestalls him. Such are,ome of the difficulties which lie in the way of getting villagecows served by good bulls. But the absence of such bulls 1S;he prime cause of the deterioration of the breed from generltion to generation. The recent order of Government forsupplying Amrut Mahal bulls tp taluks at the cost of localtunds, is a move in the right direction. The difference inthe condition of Naduddna" in localities where inferiorlocal bulls have been replaced by superior ones, is very striking. In some parts Qf the Bangalore and Kolar Districts, i iis a common practice for two or more villages to join andsubscribe :l'or the purchase of a superior bull, usually one 01the Mahadeswara betta breed is chosen. The bull is careIullyselected and purchased when young. I t is the common property 01 the villagers, and being allowed to graze on the cropsin private fields, keeps in excellent condition. Such bullsaccompany the herd during the day, but being accustomed tograze on the crops, seldom pay heed to the poor village common. In the hot season such bulls are fed on straw by any ,one of the common owners. I t is not unusual for some wellto-do men, from motives of charity, it being considered : lmeritorious act, to purchase similar breeding bulls at theirown cost and let them free. These bulls are also allowed freegrazing by the villagers. They pay frequent visits to theneighbouring villages and attend to cows in season, keeping(Iff inferior " Nadudanrt" bulls. In the French Rocks SubDivision of the Mysore District and in the adjoining partsor the Tumkur District special bulls of the H allilwT breed arekept home-fed for breeding, a fee of from haH to two rupeesbeing charged for each cow served, higher fees being demanded for K(jradaha1lli Gujmavu bulls. In the Arsikere, Tarike;e, Kadur, and Ohannagiri Taluks', bulls of the AmrutMahal blood are often met with; while in the southern andeastern parts Ol Ohitaldroog, bulls of the ChiiaZdToog breedare Iound largely distributed in the villages. In other parts0: the Province no special bulls are maintained, the breedingbeing mostly carried on by means of casual bulls of theMahadesUJara betta or other (( Doddqddna " variety.


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6 BREEDS o f lNDIAN CATTLE, MYSOR:E'J.Doddadanabreeds. Great care and attention are bestowed on the selection ofanimals for breeding the II Doddadana." The conditions

under which they are reared afford facilities for the regulationof bllBeding. Cows of this breed are sometimes kept invillages, home-fed and under shelter, in which case superior, breeding bulls are invariably secured to serve them. Herds ofthem are also kept in roppas," or open kraals fenced withthorn, generally at. some distance from villages, but sometimesnear them; they a) ways graze separate from village cattleand, as care is taken to exclude inferior village bulls, theyare not liable to be bulled by them. Each herd has its ownspecial bull, sometimes selected in the same herd, but moreo'iten to prevent in-breeding rom some other herd. Asthe bull grows old and deficient in vigour, a young one is 'selected and kept in the herd to take its place. There arethus, in the majority of the herds, two bulls, one old and theother young. The young one in many cases acts only the') part of a teaser. N'o sooner does it perceive that a cow is inheat than it approaches and keeps constantly attending onher. The cow for a time moves about in order to get :freefrom the young bull, which, however, being very active, persists in following her until at last t'he cow seeks the protectionof the older bull which the young one dare not approach andwhich then. serves the cow. This habit is also observable inthe Amrut; Mahal herds, where two bulls are kept generally

Doddadana for a fixed number of cows. ' In some herds of the " Doddaor big cattle. dana," a "limited number of cows of the village breed is sometimes allowed to mix. Inferior cows are also occasionallyintroduced on payment, and kept in the herd for the purposeor sharing the advantage of being served by a good 'bull. Onthe banks of the river Cauvery in the Kankanhalli Taluk,some owners of the Mahadeswara betta herds, having lostconsiderable numbers of their stock during the prolongeddrought of 1891-92, and wishing to repleniEh their loss, purchased a number of cheap village cows and mixed them withthe remnants of the old stock, having their own pure-bredbull . This is a cheap way of forming new herds, but it takesten to twenty years to raise the standard of the progeny to thelarger size and value of the pure-bred specimens. I t is saidthat the progl;lny second in descent generally attains all thequalities of the pure breed, or even if traces of maternaldefects should hnger in it, an animal third in descent, to acertainty, attains that standard of size, shape, color and e f f i ~ciency. 'A. transformation, therefore, from the village to

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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, l\1YSORE. 7" Betta" or any other breed, if it is wished, may in thismanner be completed for all practical purposes. The following hypothetical genealogical table illustrates what is hereasserted: - 0

" Nadu" cow + F\ue Mahadeswartl bella bull.. ICow first In descent + pure Mahadeswara betta bull.ICow second in descent (said + pure Makadeswa1'a betta bull.Breeding as"practised toimprovestook.

to possess all the qualities If the father's breed)Cow Or bu1 , apparently the sameas the other pure-bred animalsof Makadeswara betta.In selecting animals for breeding, breeders do not seem to

~ i m at developing in the offspring any particular aptitude orspecial :fitness for draught, for carrying pack-load,,, :forslaughter, or for dairy produce. The only aim is to producesize, strength, and shape, good limbs and attractive color which are specially prized in the markets where draughtbullocks are in demand. The following are considered goodpoint's in a breeding hull, and are more or less looked for byall careful breeders:-

(1) length;(2) good height, 48 to 50 inches;(3) long and tapering head with a narrow and promi

nent forehead;-(4) small, but prominent and bright, eyes;

(5) small and erect ears;(6) thin, fairly long, and gracefully set horns, the diff

erence between their thickness at the base and atthe end being small;(7) strong and f ~ i r l y long neck with a small well-shapedhumop;(8) thin and short dewlap;(9) broad and full chest;

(10) well-formed and strong shoulders and hiIfd quarters;(11) strong and well rounded ribs;(12) level back and broad loins;(1.3) narrow flanks;(14) a level croup, an abruptlJl: falling croup being con

demned;

Good pointsin a bull.


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8 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.(15) thin short whip-like tail reaching down to or very

little belo,! the point of the hock joint;(16) a well projecting anus, so that the ejected dung may

& fall clear of the body; it should not be situated ina niche-like hollow as in cows and old animals;), (1I) a sheath having little or no pendulous growth;

(18) legs of medium length and well proportioned, havingstrong and fairly thick bones, and moving togetherin perfect rhythm and not turned sideways orbrushing against each other;

(19) short fetlocks and hard small hoofs with equal halveswith a very narrow cleft between; a long shankis considered a weakness;(20) black skin, horns, muzzle, and hoofs;

) (21) thin skin covered with short and soft hair; blue andiron-grey colors are preferred;

(22) a compact body, free from all unnecessary pendulous growths;(23) the animal should be sound in every way, sym

metrical, of good temper and pure breed, and freefrom hereditary disease.

-The above points have reference both to strength andbeauty. I t is of course difficult to find all of them presentin any specimen. To the selection of the cow, no special careor attention is bestowed, but the buH, considering the numberOt animals it is likely to influence, is most carefully selected.The main points looked for in cows are good size' and length,shapely head and horns, broad hips and loins, and good wholecolor.

Castration. Castration and segregation are the two means by whichinrerioT bulls are debarred from breeding. The cows of the" Doddadana" cattle are valuable, being capable of producing high priced a.p.imals. Contamination of them by inferiorblOOd, even though of the same herd, is carefully prevented.Henls are therelore not ('lily kept away from village bulls,but are also annually weeded of all their own young m a l e s ~before these .1evelop any breeding propensity. The bull-calves,for which the,re is always a keen demand, including sometimes even calves four months old, are sold to purchasers whotake them away and rear them. Such as are not so sold areeither castrated early and kept in the herds, or more often


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.taken home and trained for work. In some villages wheregood bulls are available, all the malformed and small onesare e i t h ~ : r castrated or separated from the general herd ofCOWl', I I I which latter case they are kept with the workinlJ bull.0cks and like them home-fed. The latter method has theadvantage that careful attention is paid to the hand-feeding Q-of calves. Segregation is more often resorted to than is Segregation.castration, for, as almost al l male stock, whatever their shapeand size, are ultimately destined for agriculture, their castra-tion can by this means be delayed till they have six teeth. Insome very rare instances bulls have a gunny-bag sack tied up1i0 as to enclose the sheath and render covering impossible.

The importance of preventing immature animals from IIl!mlltureb d d f d I' b d' t'll h . I tt' ammals notree mg an 0 e aymg ree lng I t e anIma s a aln always pre-mature years are known and appreciated, but they find ~ o vente.d frompractical application in the rearing of village cattle. Even breedmg.as regards the" Doddadana," they are not invariably observ- yed in the case of cows in herds, though when valuable cowsare kept in houses the owners prevent them from breeding tillthey are of adult age, notwithstanding their coming in seasonmeanwhile. In the Amrut Mahal Department care is takentl) separate and leave behind all young heifers when the herdsare driven to tracts where the cOll'ditions of soil and fodderwould induce their coming prematurely into season. In thecase of male animals of the " Doddadana," the rule regardingthe breeding age is observed whenever possible and if adultbulls are available. The practice of having two bulls in aherd, one young and the other mature, and consequentlystronger, affords some guarantee against the former impregnating cows.

There are three different periods of the year in which cows Season forusually come into season, April and May, when the early i ~ ~ . l e breedshowers fall; October, November, and December, when past-ure is at it s best; and January, February, and March, whencattle are fed on the refuse of the thrashing-floors. I f theearly showers are plentiful, grass springs up in abundanceand affords fresh pasturage to the grazing stock, which underthat stimulus come in season. During recent years earlyrains have peen more or less light, and very little grass hasgrown under their influence, more especially in the easternand northern parts of Mysore, where most cattle-breeding iscarried on. This period has therefore had no influence oncattle-breeding except towards the west. Even here, the cows


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Food givento hrl'cdingcattle.

ScaS0n forcattle bl'lcdhlg.

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10 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.being ill-nourished during the preceding summer do notgenerally evince any propensity to take the bull after the earlyshowers. That cows are not impregnated in great numbersat th.is period of the year is not without some advantage, forthe time of calving in the case of cows so conceiving coincideswith the following hot season when the cow and the calf sufferfrom scanty pasture. The second period, known locally as the" DiZJawali" and "Sankranti" season from festivals of thesame name held at that time, is the season when most cattlein the Province, having had time to recover from the depressing cffects of the previous summer, and revelling in pasturewhich is then in its most abundant and vigorous g r o w t ~come into season. Impregnation in this season has the advantage that a long spell of good weather follows while the cow ,is in calf and the calving time falls in the early part of thesu'Cceeding rainy season. Instances of cows coming intoseason in January and February (known as the "Hal.:kal7nevu" period) are rather rare, nor can the season be said tobe a very suitable one, inasmuch as dry weather follows immediately after concepti.on.As a rule no special food is given to cows or bulls duringthe breeding season, except in the French Rocks Sub-Divisionand its adjoining taluks of the Tumkur District, where breeding bulls of the HalldLair breed are given strong nourishingfood to sustain their strength. Casual breeding-bulls of the" /)oddadana" are similarly treated in some places. Valuable cows kept in villages are likewise given specially nourishing food to improve their condition and to induce sexualexcitement. But it is possible that a cow may become too fatand lor this reason fail to conceive, though served by the bullon each occasion of her freqnent seasons. In such cases al lspecial food is stopped, and even the daily allowance of theusual food is curtailed for a few days or weeks after theanimal is covered, in order that her conditiolJ may he reducedand conception aided. Ill-nourished and naclly kept cows,after failing to conceive in the ordinary course, sometimescome into irregular heat whic11 recurs even after they arl1served. As a remedy for irregular heat and failure to breed..bark of Jatropha Curcas is crushed and mixe(l with curcI anathree hornfuls (ahout half a seer measure) of the mixture administered to the cow immediately after she has been hulled ..The heat lasts for a day or two aIH} then ceases. I f thecow is not served by the bull, it is said that at least sixteendays elapse before she comes in season again. Some plethoric

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'BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 11cows which exhibit no desire for the bull are yoked in theplough and worked in order to bring them into season. Asa rule, cows though in good condition rarely come into seasonin very wet . a t he r . In parts of the Chamrajanagar laluk(M:ysore District) partially fried oil-cake of Culzotla abyssy.niea or its oil is given as a stimulant to cows when they failto come into season. Another way to bring about sexual

~ x c i t e m e n t is to give the cow three hornfuls of fish spawn andbark of Capparis zeylanica well ground and mixed with milk.In the Nagamangala and Kankanahalli Taluks and in al lthose places where valuable "Doddadana" are reared Weaning ofb ~ l l - c a l v e s are often weaned earlier than usual to meet th; calves.demand for them. When the calf is thus weaned and the cowis not milked she comes into season sooner, more especially ifthe weather happens to be propitious. Breeders in those partsoften resort to this measure as a means of getting as manycalves as possible from their cows. Cow-calves generaHy notbeing sold are not thus early weaned. At Karadahalli (Naga.mangala Taluk) an instance was brought to notice of a calfonly seven days old weaned from the mother which was saidto be a very valuable cow. The calf was fed upon milk drawnfrom other less valuable cows. Save in these exceptional cases,calves are generally left with the mother till she runs dry.In connection with the subject of breeding, there are certain facts connected with the age at which the first conception

o c c ~ r s in different cows and the interval which they pass incalving afterwards which deserve to be noted.Some cows take the bull before they cut two teeth, othersat two and some others again later, the time extending up toone or two years after the animal has a full mouth. This issaid to depend on the family to which they belong. Thesefamilies are classed as "Varshalwndi" (calving annually),< l Iklcandi" (calving biennially), and" Mukkandi" (calvingtriennially). II) the case of biennials and triennials the intervals are sometimes narrowed more or less within a limit ofsix months. Cows of the first of these classes take the bull atan early age, i.e., at about two teeth, those of the second class1it about four teeth, and those of the third class at about sixteeth and thereafter, provided no exceptional circumstancesinfluence and alter the natural course. For example, a" Varshakandi" eow may temporarily become an " IkkanrIi "or even a "Mukkandi," and an "lklwndi" cow may simi- Age at whichlarly become a "jJlulckandi" owing to bad condition in cows becomo'. . fit for breed-seasons of drought, but the effect IS not permanent, as It ing.


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"

BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.resumes its normal regularity when the cause of the aberration is removed. But the converse of this does not happen,and a cow of the family calving at the longer intervals doesnot PilsS into families calving at the shorter i . rva ls . Themost prevalent class is that of cows calving annually. Inmaking their selections experienced purchasers invariablyprefer" MlIldwndi " calves if they can find them and are will-ing to pay high prices for them. Both the calf and the cow-of this class are bigger, better made an'd stronger than theother two, " Ikkandies " being better than " Varshakandies."The reason for this is obvious. The milking periods of theseclasses of cows vary, those calving at longer intervals continuing in milk longer. :Making allowance for good or bad keepand individual peculiarities, "Varshalcandies". continue in

Milking milk for 4 to 5 months, "Ikkandies" for 12 to 16 months,a r ~ ~ I ~ ~ ~ f and" MlIkkandies" for 21 to 27 months, though in the caseclasses vary. of the second and third classes it is noticed that during the

Ql last 3 or 4 months the yield is gradually reduced, the cowmilking but once a day. Calves of these latter are nourishedlonger upon the mother's milk and grow better. The long periodof rest after calving, especially after she runs d}y, enables a" MlIkkandi" cow to regain the strength and vigour lost ateach pregnancy. "Varshakandi" cows., which usually suckletheir calves from 3 to 5 months, are sometimes liable to adouble drain, nourishment being drawn both by the calf atfoot and by the developing fmtus in the womb, leaving to thecow little time to repair the loss. Common salt, or feedingon grass growing in salt lands, has been known to induceearly maturity and yearly calving. For example, most ofthe cows in the numerous herds of cattle in the ChallakereTaluk of the Chitaldroog District, where there are extensivesalt' tracks in pasture lands, are " Varshakandies" and calvefor the first time at 3l years. These cattle are generallysmaller by one or two inches than "Ilckalldif :' cattle. It iswhen driven to pastures in such saltish regions that youngheifers of the A mrlIt MahaZ herds not required to breed are

Influence ofsire on thedam.

separated and left behind.With regard to the influence of the parents on the caUlS!opinions d i f f ~ r . The general belief is that the male parente:hiefly influel\ces the offspri.ng. I t is also believed that the

bull in the i m ~ d i a t e view of the cow when she is bulled impresses the calf.. Barren cows generally keep in good condition. Pure and well-bred bulls seek only cows in heat, and itis only ill-bred and young bulls that pursue and attempt to


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 13bull cows not in season, and even those in call. Bulls at two Age at whichteeth are active and full of youthful vigour, but much less f : t l ~ s c ~ ~ ~ i _capable of impregnating; at four teeth they are lanky and tion.languid, but better fitted for fecunda'ting. Both these are tooyoung to breed satisfactorily, and while suffering constitdti?n-ally themselves, produce weak progeny. From six teeth upto the age of about 12 years they are of established vigour andbreed successfully without suffering from constitutional dis-orders, and their progeny is strong and of good size. Fromabout the 13th year they begin to decline, and their breeding

~ ; v e r s altoge'ther cease at about 16. ,., The management of cows during pregnancy does not vary M a n a g e ~ e n t. h . 1 h d h of cows Infrom that at' other tImes, except t at I I I arge er s suc cows calf." are grazed separately. At the time of calving man's efforts

are confined to assisting nature to bring about a quick andeasy delivery. After being dropped, the calf is cleaned aILdthe soft and ugly growing ends of its hoofs are trimmed, andit is allowed to be licked by the cow. In cases of irregularcalving, such as when a calf is turned the wrong way or whenit is dead in the womb, there are expert men scattered al l overthe country who are called in.

FEEDING.The greater part of the cattle of the Province are main

tained by grazing during the day and home feeding at night,while considerable numbers are supported either purely onpasturage or are chiefly home-fed.

All large herds of cattle}. whether of superior or inferiorkinds, which are usually kept in the open or in partially covered pens at night, are generally maintained on pasturage !,llone.Their numbers are too great to admit of their being easilyhoused or fed at 'night. Such cattle therefore vary in condition with the season, being ha1 starved in the dry weatherand well fed in the rainy and cold months, except when theyhave provided for them, as in the case of the Amrut Ma1halc !\ttl e, their hot weather and their cold weather "Kavals."As a rule, large herds of cattle are found only where grazingis extensive. In the earlier days of Mysore Forest Administration the almost unrestrained immunities which the raiyatshad either openly or clandestinely been enjoying, were virtually withdrawn, and this measure had a prejudicial effect on


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14 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.cattle-breeding. The principle that the cattle wealth of thecountry is far too important to be thus dealt with, has inrecent years been recognized, and restrictions have been relaxed, cat tle .being allowed to graze in many Government

f o r e s ~ or parts thereof 'upon the payment of a fee of two tofour annas per head. I t is not now unusual for cattle-ownersin the plains to send their herds to distant Government foreststo graze from July to December or January, when they haveto be withdrawn on account of the heat, diminished pastureand scarcity of water, but chiefly owing to fire protectionmeasures. Cattle are let out from "Roppas" early in tJ... . . .morning. They bask about the place till about '7 or 8, whenthe graziers having had their breakfast are ready to lead themoff to graze. They are watered once or twice a day. In thehot weather they are driven out to graze much earlier and are 'w ~ t e r e d twice a day, generally at midday and in the evening,or when water is at a distance in the morning and in the even-

.) ing, on their way to and from the grazing grounds. Theyusually rest under the shade of trees for two .or three hours atmidday when the sun is hbttest. Oattle are guided by thevoice o the graziers. A$razier of the A1nrut Mahal Department is able to collect a herd near him by a peculiar call addressed to them from a distance. I t is not unusual for cattlescattered over a large area of jungle to gather and trot to theirdistant home of an evening at a signal from the attendant.

Poor qualityof grazingland.

All village cattle, except valuable bulls and cows, such asmay be the objects of special care and attention, collect together every morning at an appointed place, and are then drivenout to the village "Go1nal" or common where they aregrazed, getting their midday repose and watering in the samemanner as "Roppa" cattle.Most of the pasture lands are very indifferent as to soiland produce but scanty supply and innutritious grass even inthe best of seasons. In the hot weather or dn:ring drought theterm "desert" might almost be applied to them. Cattledepending entirely upon village pasture must thus suffer inthe hot weather, and are therefore fed at home at night. Thedairy produce of cattle grazing on ordinary jungle and h.itl.lpasture is somewhat deficient in the richness and flavorwhich characterises that of cattle in salt tract, such asthose or C h a l l ~ k e r e . The grass m ~ ) 8 t extensively found in all" Gomal" or pasture lands is the "Karadaga," otherwisecalled" Vunaga,," Heteropogon contortus.


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 15The following is a list of grasses commonly found growing

in different localities in " Gomal" or pastu:re lands and als!J.in the arable lands o the country :... .,I l l, 000S ~~ "Zo Vernacular name. Botanical name.

'J)Description of localitiesin which it grows.Grasses usedas fodder.

1 Bod6hullu, two varieties: Andropogon sp. On poor and dry ground,broad bladed, narrow on steep sides or hill tops

~ I

s

bladed. at high elevations.(a) P'unaga or Karadaga,tw o kinds.

(b) Hanc'hi(c) Sanahanchi(a) Kachi

Heterop 0 gon )contortus. Ilristidacooru1-1escens.Aristida cooru1 Iesceus.var. JAndropogonSchoonanthus.Elevated, dry, loamy soils,also in hard, stonygrounds and shallow soils

overlying b e d ~ of graveland stone generally verypoor and dry.

In level tracts of dry reilloams or Boils overlyingbeds of laterite gravel;practically in same localities as No.2, but preferssomewhat open and morereddish soil.(b) Gantukachi Anthisteria cili- Soils containing consider-ata. able organic matter.

" Mani Chrysopogonsquamosus. In low-lying stiff soils andalso in elevated but badlydrained level tracts ofclay soil which are veryretentive of moisture.I

5

6

7

8

(a) GaujalagariM AndropogonB1adhii.Pennisetummacrourum.

')I n all well drained grounds,where the soil is fairlyrich.b) Naribala(c) Hulimise Chrysopogoncreruleus. IJTungi, two kinds:(a) The bulbous variety

>(b) Fibrous rooted variety

(CyperusI rotundus.i Cyperus comL presus.Inlow-lying moist sandysoils, especially thoseonce under cultivation.Seldom on highlyinghilly lands. '-

Stmti, the ginger grass Panicum .repens It). low paddy fields lyingfallow. Seldom on highlying hilly lands.(a) Noje(b) JJarbhe

Pennisetum l1opecurus.S a c c h a r umspontaneum. In marshy grounds waterlogged dnring a greatpart of the year, bu tsurface open to air.


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Grassescommonlyfound ingrazinglands.

)

16 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.......0... .",,,, Description of localities.0 '" Vernacular name. Botanical name. in whioh it grows.

" 02L' I9 Jamhkll Penn i s e t um In water.indicum.

10 (a) Garike . Cyn o d o n ') In rich Boils and whereDactylon. J manure collects. I t isalso fouud to grow in al l(b) Porehullu Panicum pro- J well-drained soils oncestratum. uuder cultivation.11 Maravadi A n t h i s t eria In rich loam crable ofumballatus P retaining moist . e, and12 Pulambrakullu, several recently thrown ont ofkinds: cultivation.(a) Parangi akkahakullu T r a c h y smucronataP -(b) Manckakalu C l o r i s bar

0 bataP(c) Sannatapari . Panicum- tenuiflorum . In lands ploughed and(d) Konanatale Eleusine manured every year andHuckusave regyptiacl';. fairly moist.Panicum pro- tstratum.(j') Huckukaralca Panicumcolonum.

Grass accustomed to grow in good soils does not grow inbad soils; on the ot)1er hand, grass whose habitat is bad soilsmay grow in superior soils, only seeking there such spots asmost fulfil the conditions congenial to its growth. The mostprevailing grasses in pasture lands are those of class 2. NQs.1, 2 (b), 2 (c), 3 (a), 3 (b), 5 (c), 6 (a), 6 (b), 8 (a), 8 (b), 9 areeither fibrous, woody or pithy and contain little nourishment.Some of these are moreover of a pungent taste, and on thataccount are not preferred. All these, except Nos. 6 (a) and6 (b), are available in the hot season, though in a state ofmaturity, when they are comparativetly uselw)S as fodder. Nos.2 (a), 4 and 7 come next in order in the ascending scale ofnutrition, the Jast-named being somewhat pungent. Thelittle nourishment these grasses possess is still furtherdiminished when they flower. Nos. 5 (al) and 5 (b) l'\renourish'i,ng grasses, but are of diminutive growth andare grazed down before the hot weather; 5 (a) isslightly 'Rungent. In point of palatability, class No.i l l is better than No. 10, and No. 12 better than bothOt them. No. 10 (a) is believed to be the most nourishing


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.of them al l though somewhat unfavourable to the secretion ofmilk. All grasses are freely grazed when young and succulent. "vunaga" or "Karada" or spear grass is avoidedwhen it is in flower, for the awns are woody and needlecJikeand pierce 'the mouth. I t is eaten after the spear heads ripenand fall off, and is the main source of hot weather fodder,though it then affords but little nourishment.

The crying want of the country is a supply of fodder duringthe hot months. "Garike" or Haryali or Dhoab grass growsin great luxuriance in the Mysore Province when properJvrcuit'i'vated and yields in a year no less than three crops convertible into the finest hay. I t is further a fact that seeds ofother good grasses can be sown in the European fashion and1)foduce a thickly grown crop from which the best of hay callbe made.

As for providing for the wants of the cattle of the people'at large, it would be a hopeless task. Many agriculturistsbave grazing l'ands of their own, and in addition are graduallyturning portions of their fields into pasture. This is a movein the right direction, and further improvement in this r e s p e ~ tmay be safely predicted as the price of cattle goes on increasing. At present so many cheap cattle are procurable thatself-interest does not dictate such feeding of them as in thecase Qf more highly priced animals.

All valuable cattle are, as a rule, home-:fed, the fodder Valuablegenerally supplied to them being g r e e ~ grass chiefly collected cattle 11.. . . genera Vm cultIvated fields m the ramy weather, and straw of cereals home-fed.in other seasons of the year. Cattle, when off work, andhome-fed animals are held in ropes and grazed in rentedpasture reserves or on the borders of fields. Fodder as such isseldom grown, except in parts where Sorghum cultivatedseparately or in lines with fflgi is given to cattle green beforeearing. This is a most nutritious food, and cattle fed thereonBoon get into very good condition. I t is also raised in manyparts by irrigation to be used ,as fodder in times of scarcity.In a few places in the caSe of fine bulls they are allowed tograze down crops of horse-gram.. Among the different kindsof dry fodder Tagi straw is sweet and nourishing and far supe-rior to paddy straw; ehalam (Sorghum) stalks are nourishing,but being hard they are often chopped into pieces for u ~ e . i_Hay is but seldom made, and ensilage is unknown.

Besides the above usual kinds of feed cattle are often given Specialspecial foods. These are generally pulses, such as horse-gram, fodders.c-


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' \18 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.cow-gram and pigeon-pea and their husks or pods, oil-cakes ofCuizotia abyssynica, gingelly and ground-nut, cotton seed andcereal grains such as cholam. Oil-cake of Cuizotia abyssynicais bjlieved to be heating and is generally given with horsegram. Ground-nut cake increases the yield of milk, and sodoes cotton seed, which is very nourishing. I t is soaked inwater and often ground before giving. Soaked horse-gram iscrushed and given to milch cows and calves. I t is. boiledwhen given to cart-bullocks. Sometimes it is given fried andcrushed. Cow-gram is always soaked and crushed beforeglvmg. Cholam is crushed and given. I t is not u n u s u a ~ ' ~ Jsave up whatever remains of the d a ~ food and to mix withit a large quantity of water, often . a t e r in which rice hasbe!3n washed, rice-bran, conji, unutilised curds, oil-cakes,)etc. This mixture turns sour and with the addition of somegalt is much relished by cattle. Milch cows and workingbullocks are often given this cooling drink. Special foods aremainly had recourse to only in the hot season when fodder isscarce.

CASTRATION.The importance of castration in cattle-breeding is fullyunderstood by the professional breeders and raiyats generally.

All male animals except such as may be kept fo+ breeding pur.,.poses are invariably castrated.Age which The age at which calves are emasculated differs in variouspractised. parts of the Province, though over the greater portion of them

are castrated at about the close of the third or the fth year,preferably at the latter age when the animal has put forthsix permanent teeth. In the Amrut 'jJlahal Departmentmanaged under European supervision early castration is therule, and calves are castrated at two years or thirty months.'Among private breeders castration of animals before they cutthe first two teeth is rare. Castration when the bull has fourteeth is supposed by many breeders to b ~ too early, whilstothers prefer to castrate their bulls at that age. The difference in practice is probably founded on local usage or peculiarities of climate.

Advantagesof cP.rlycastration.In favour of early castration there is the fact thatO the

operation is easier and attended with less pain and dangerthan in the c a ~ e of later castration. Early castration wouldseem to cause a lighter carcass, less draught power, but morespeed than late castration. Animals of the latter class havehowever a Detter capacity for heavy draught . especially in


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BREEDS OF INmAN CATTLE, l\:IYSORE. ]9ploughing stiff black cotton soils. Apropos of this, theremarks of Mr. Wallace may be quoted;-

" In my opinion, this (early castration) alone,. carried out in directopposition to native customs, which have been buiit up as the r e s u l ~ ofa large experience when animals are wanted for heavy draught, is quitesufficient to account for all the so-called degeneration, which fortnnatelyhowever would be confined to the bullocks or export produce of theherd. Extending as i t does over so many years, I should assess thepecuniary loss to Government on the Amrut Mahal Cattle ]farm, resultin g from this blunder alone, th e direct result of want of technical knowledge, at not less than some,hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling."~ must however be stated that other authorities aredirectly opposed to Professor W a l l ~ c e ' s opinion on this point,and that in Harriana, where the best cattle in Northern Indiaare bred, the operation is carried out early by the people..The period of the year considered most suitable for castra- Season besttion is the season of plenty, from October to February, w h e n ~ t h d a p t e d for . . e purpose.tile weather IS bracmg and cool and when there IS an abund-ance of fodder and water available. The time for operation "is generally in the cool of the m o r n ~ n g .

There are three different methods by which castratjon iseffected; firstly, by crushing the testicle, or the spermatic cord.or both; secondly, by causing a wound at a point between thetwo lobes of the scrotal sac and allowing maggots to formand eat up the glands and then healing the wound; thirdly,and lastly, by cutting open the sac and removing the testicles.Except under the second method the animals are invariably

thrown on some soft ground in thesame manner as when being shod.When adopting the first method themost prevalent practice is to pull thescrotum well out, to push one of thetesticles up and secure the other between two short and stout sticks which,tied at one end and free at the other,as shown in the margin, can be closed or drawn together.;When the testicle is thus held firmly, as if in a vice,its apex is turned up by gently turning the sticks, and Different

it iso pressed by the hand vigorously down against the mOdt dsticks, till all the hard tissue is broken up and reduced to a prac lSC pulpy mass. The second testicle is then similarly treated. Toensure the success of the operation, particular care is taken toapply the pressure on the apex and vertically downwards. Infact success may be said to be dependent in great measure onskilful manipulation. The operation should not be performerl

c2


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20 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.when the animal is low in condition. In this operation greatcare should be' taken that no pressure is accidentally put uponthe rudimentary teats and their i m m e d ~ a t e vicinity. A.ny inattt'1ltion to this precaution results, it is said, in instantaneousdeath, or In tetanus setting in, eventually ending in deatheven if life should be prolonged for a day or two. A.notherdevice occasionally adopted is to tie a string tightly round thescrotal sac, just above the glands and to strike them with a 1hammer or a stout stick, so as t.o crusb them.

There is another mode by which the spermatic c o r ~ } ' . \maimed and crushed, viz., by placing the cord (a t a safe distance from the rudimentary teats) on a thin iron rod andgiving.it one or more sudden blows with a small hammer.This method, though it leaves the testicles undisturbed;ensures their withering away in the course of a few weeks. In

~ o m e localities the operation of crushing the spermatic cordis resorted to in addition to crushing the testicles to ensurethorough success.

There is again another manner in which castration hysome localities the operation of crushing the spermatic cordjust above the testicles and is pulled forcibly with a strongjerk, crushing and disorganising the cord and, partially, alsotho testicles.

The second of the two methods above enumerated, namely,that of destroying the glands by maggots, is happily limited inextent. The maggots fall off about the eighth day and a secondset is allowed to form. vVhen at the end of ten or twelvedays testicles are completely destroyed, the maggots aregot rid of by tl}e application of the milk of the banyan treeand turmeric powder to the wound. Other stuffs, such askerosine oil, or slaked lime and green tobacco leaves groundtogether, are also used to remove the maggots.

The third of the three systems a l r e a ~ y referred to is invogue in the Amrut MahaZ Department and among thosebreeders who follow its example in improved methods of breeding. In that Department the slit is made with a knife; common breeders, however, sometimes use a piece of quartz witha sharp edge for making the opening. When the testicle:" arethus gtit at, a ligature of fine thread is applied to the arteriesto prevent bleeding, and they are removed. Some dry cowdung powder is placed in the sac and the wound is eitherstitched or tied up. I t heals in about twenty days, cow-dungpowder :being said to be a very good antiseptic. Tar or


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 21" neem" oil is sometimes applied externally to prevent maggots from forming. In some rare instances one of the testiClesis absent not. having descended into the scrotal sac. I t hastherefore to be brought down by expert manipulation b,io'l'ethe operation can be completed.

The night previous to castration the animal is given about PrElFaratory4 f 11 '1 '1 f C t b . 'th t treatment.ounces 0 gmge y 01 or 01 0 UIZO la a yssymca W I woor three eggs; and after the close of the operation on thefollowing morning, a drink of two or three hornfuls of butter-

. . , ~ mixed with onions and a small quantity of turmericpounded together is administered. In some localities twohornfuls of a mixture of cow's milk, ghi and asacetida aregiven immediately after castration, and followed for a week or.,so by a drench made from the juice of the leaves of heart-seedmixed with buttermilk and given every morning. Variousmeans are at the same time employed for reducing the infl:rmation of the scrotum including the swimming of the animalevery morning for a week from the second or third day after : lcastration. Cold water is dashed on the parts; the animal isbathed in cold water; and other applications are not unusual,such as cow-dung or the juice of the leaves of " Kachi " or ofDatura (thorn apple). The animal has high fever for a day ortwo after castration and does not feed till it subsides. I ttakes from twenty days to a mop.th to recover from the opemlion. Various kinds or nourishing and rattening rood aregiven for a more or less lengthened period afterwards. Whenthe castrated animal is not valuable or when the owner has anumber to attend to , it is generally given nothing, but somestraw and green fodder.

MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE.Cattle bred in great numbers, both "Doddadanas" and" Nadudanas," a}e more or less neglected as regards protec

tion from the weather. They are grazed during the day andare driven for the night into open enclosures exposed in badweather to rain, wind, and dew. The droppings are seldomremoved from the enclosure except near cultivated lands where

t u ~ y are .of value as manure. Young calves are sheltered insheds provided for the men tending the herds. This treatmenthas, to a certain extent, the effect of hardening the stock andimproving the breed as it kills off the weaker animals. In thedry months their lo t is more comfortable. 'fhe accumulateddroppings dry up and afford a sort of soft powder bedding.


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2;2 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.Careful breeders select dry hard ground for "rOPlJas" andchange them from time to time. Home-bred cattle and thosekept for draught are kept in sheds or in the houses of the

o w n e ~ . It, is not unusual to find a raiyat and his familysleeping in the same apartment with his oxen. In the open"roppas" cattle often fight and horn each other badly. Feeding troughs made of stone slabs or planks are often providediT} houses for economising the fodder. 1Vell-to-do. and intelligent raiyats have thejr sheds flagged with stone slabs incliningtowards a tub or pot for catching the urine. In some p a ~the dung is collected, dried and spread under the cattle forbedding, and absorbing the urine becomes valuable manure.The conditions of the tract known as the Malnad are peculiarand are very unfavourable to cattle. These tracts get a rain- 1fall varying from 60 to 160 inches a y e ~ r . The consequent

e ~ c e s s i v e moisture is prejudicial to the health of the cattle,while the wet or rice cultivation there unduly taxes theirvitality. Qne usage to which mittIe are subjected is of aUother conditions most unfavourable to their well-being.

Manner ofobtainingleaf manureinjurious tothe cattle.

" Supari" cultivation,. which constitutes the chief wealth ofthe Malnad, requires heavy manuring. Leaf manure has,by experience, been found to be indispensable. Raiyats inthe l\falnad spread a layer of green leaves in the. c a t t l ~ - s h e dand tether their cattle thereon, so as to receive the d r o p ~ i n g s .From day to day additional hyers or leaves are spread; thisgoes on for a week or so till the whole mass of leaves soakedin and mixed with cattle urine and manure i.s removed anddC'posited in the manure pit. This goes on through the greaterportion of the year. 1Vith work in excessive wet and rainduring the day, and this treatment in their resting place atnight, the cattle sustain such wear and tear and mortality.that one of the most costly and frequently recurring items ofthe Malnad raiyats' expenses is the purchase of bullocks.Added to this is the very coarse and innutJ)itious pasturage ofthese dense forest region's where the grass seems to be deprivedor its usual nourishing quality by the excessive rainfall. Thecattle of the J{acha Gowlies, which will be referred to furtheron, are an apparent exception to this rule, for they thrive inthe Malnad; it has, however, to be observed that the bul'k oftheir cattle cOIl;sists or buffaloes which delight in moistureand can subsist o.n coarse grass.~ a c 7 t a GOlV- I t may not be uninteresting to give here a brief account 0

bes. " Kacha Gowlifis," a nomadic tribe owning herds of cattle, wholIave in recent years immigrated into the M:alnad parts of


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)

BREEDS OF INDIAN OATTLE, MYSORE. 23~ I y s o r e . .They speak RANARESE and are hardly able to CDnverse in MAHRATTA. They encamp in jungles, seldDm visitingvillages or towns, except fDr the purpose of procuring prDvi,sions or selling their dairy produce. They shift from jungleto. jungle. They are primitive in their. habits and live i IDWhuts Dr other temporary structures. Their means of living is.derived from their cattle, chiefly buffaloes. Their principaldairy produce is. butter, which commands a ready sale. Theyhave introduced a peculiar breed of cows and buffalo"es frDmGoa and the Ronkan country. They take great care of theil'

~ i l e which are healthy and give plenty of milk, unlike thegenerality of the Malnad cattle. Owing to their extremesimplicity, and to the fact 'of their possessing some mDney,}they are occasionally rDbbed by professional thieves anddacoits and spoiled by petty officials, but they are protectedby the Forest Department; fDr, though they do some damageyet they abide ~ y rules: and doubtless in time their herdswill increase to. the great benefit of a considerable tract Dfcountry where other catt.le do not thrive at all.

Cattle are seldom prDvided with" jhools " except valuablecart bullDcks which are provided with coverings of gunnybags, or coarse home-made "kum'9lies" or cloths. vVheremosquitoes abDund, it js usual to. smoke cattle sheds at nightas a means. of keeping them off.

When green fDdder is plentiful cattle sometimes suffer Occasional''from an abnormal p a p i l ~ a r y growtl: o ~ their tongue, w l ~ i c h ~ ~ ~ ; ~ h a lprevents them from feedmg and drmkmg as usual. VarIOUS whenTemedies are employed to remove this growth. One of the ~ r e e b n fodddel'. bIb kl . h . t IS a un ant.CDmmDnest means IS t.o ru t Ie tongue rls y WIt a mIX ure0.1' CDmmon salt 'and turmeric pDwder. A thick band of Remediesstraw enclosing a quantity of common salt is sDmetimes described ..placed in tIle mouth .Df the animal and the ends Df ittaken up and tied behind the horns. The salt meltingwith the saliva causes the animal to. work the tDngue, andthe frictiDn thuil [nduced brings on relief 'or cure. AnDthermethDd is to. spread a thin layer Df powdered common saltDn the rough surface of a flat stone and to indlice the animalto lick it. Cattle that have an opportunity and are in thehaDtt Df licking earth-salt are nDt liable to sueh abnDrmalgrowth on the tongue, and even if they do. get it, are quicklycured. Salt is not usually given in the hot season, as it issupposed to. reduce- conditiDn. I t is given only to. w o r k i ~ gbullocks and valuable animals kept in the villages. Whenpasture is plentiful it is usual in some parts of My.sore to. give


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Manner ofworkingoattle.

24 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSOI{E.the working bullocks and valuable bulls a. drench of Warmragi conji mixed with about! of a seer of melted fa t either ofthe pig or goat, or when that cannot he procured, of ghi. Onthe a y they are given this drench they are allowed oniy asmall draught of water, and that late in the day. The animalsthus treated are rested for a period ot not less than a week.This treatment is adopted to improve the condition of thecattle. A mixture ot tamarind, jaggery and onions, beaten ..,and mixed together, is given to relieve and invigorate animalsafter protracted and hard work, especially on dusty r o ~ ' : bCattle are provided with nose-strings. The string is usuallyput on when the animal is a year and a haH or two years old.Tt is passed through a hole made in the septum of the nose.Careful raiyats and cartmen rub down their working cattle,every evening with a bag of cocoanut coir net used as a glove,I"Jr with a section ot a mature dry fruit at ~ u f f a acutangula. ?Herds brought up in a semi-wild state are not washed.Domesticated animals are occasionally washed. Attentivemilkmen always wash their cows. Cattle plQughing in slushypaddy-fields are washed either partially or wholly upon beingunyoked. Cattle are used for draught of various kinds. Inconnection with agriculture, besides ploughing and the like,they are also employed in treading on the thrashing-floorseither tor tamping the ground or for thrashing the corn.They are also used as pack animals for carrying merchandisein places where roads are bad or absent. The usual hours ofwork in agricultural operations are from 6 to 11-30 A.M., andagain from 3 to 6 P.M., in dry cultivation, and only from 6to 11-30 A.M. in wet lands. I f the weather is very hot workis commenced earlier and the midday rest is 'more prolonged.In parts of Mysore cattle are worked trom 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. ,without the intervening rest. In most parts of the ProvincpMonday is observed as a holiday for cattle, and they are notyoked tor any work within the limits ot thpIlvillage; and whenany urgent work is to be done on this day people sometimesmake use of buffaloes. Bullocks are not worked before thefourth year. I t takes a year to train them, during whichperiod they do but light work. A_fter the 5th year, they turnout full work till about the 12th year, when decline generallysets in . From !tbout the 17th year they cease to be capable of

~ n y work and g ~ d u a l l y sink, dying about the 20th year. With-in a limit of five, years their longevity varies according to thevitality ot the breed and the nature of the work on which theyare employed. C a r t ~ u l l o c k S ' < l ~ : ~ ' ". earlier than other

Ll8CUaY . . , "---


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 26agricultural stock. Am,rut Mahal bulls live and work longerthan other breeds in Mysore. Cows are only worked by thepoorest classes who cannot afford to buy bullocks. Whencattle have to work in a standing crop or when treading cornthey are muzzled with coir-bags.or split bamboo wicker blsketsshaped to fit. Calves inclined to lick and swallow earth arealso provided with muzzles. Village cattle which are in thehabit of straying have a short stick suspended from their neckswhich getting between the forelegs hampers their movements.They are sometimes also hamshackled. The horns of cattle~ at times pared and shaped to improve their appearance,_the tips are sometimes capped with ornamental brass or bellmetal ferules. At large fairs pure white bulls have their) front and hind quarters painted blue. The horns are invariably painted blue and scarlet in the" Sankranti" or harvestfestival, when cattle are washed and decorated in variol,lsways and driven across a 'line of blazing fire.

TEETH, HORNS AND AOE.The age of cattle, as usual elsewhere, is ascertained from

the condition of the front teeth and their periodical changes.Another indi()ation of age, though less precise, is the appearance and growth of the horns in the earlier years and _ henumber of hollow rings formed on them as the animal growsolder.

The calf has, at birth, its two front teeth. In about amonth all the eight teeth are up. In the majority of caseswhere teething is regular, the first formed pair exhibits signsof wearing at one and a haH to two years and, falling at Ascertainedabout two and a half years, is replaced at three. In a falling ~ ~ ~ i l i . frontpair, one is said to fall off usually a few days or weeks beforethe other. The second pair of the original teeth, one on eachside of the front pair, is similarly replaced from three and ahalf to four yeais, the third pair from four and a half to five,and the last pair, to complete eight teeth, is up in level withthe others when the animal is six years old, having replacedthe last temporary pair at five and a haH. This is the usualand what is considered to be the regular course of cuttingteeth, the intervals slightly varying in different cases. Cattleteeth show no sign of wearing till after about ten years, whenthe wearing begins to be appreciable in the first formed set ofteeth, gradually extending to the others. All the eight teethfully wear out a 9 ~ ~ t thirteen or fourteen years, and at


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26 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.,sixteen or so the animal becomes incapable of grazing in thepastures, as proper prehension of food by the worn-out-teethbecomes. difficult. The conclusion as to age from the state ofteeth is further invariably verified by the size and appeara;nceof tne animal. Between its birth and the fall of its first pairof teeth, the size of the animal and the length of the tuft ofhair at the end of the tail are the chief guides, while fromfull-mouth to the wearing of teeth its appearance and vigour,the gloss of its skin and hair and its general activity are the-only data for estimating the age. When the animal is veryold, its pendulous belly, long horns, rough and rather dl.Pmuzzle and sparsely growing hair approximately indicate it sage.As exceptions to the general rule, cases may be mentioned"in which the first pair of permanent teeth appears well up as

e ~ r l y as two years or at various points of time between twoand three. In:stances are also known where the intervalbetween the appearance of the first set of teeth and of thesecond set is much longer than a year, and where the secondand third sets instead of following the first in regular succession fall off together and are simultaneously replaced, the lastset, however, taking the usual time. Tn some cases the severalsets of teeth get replaced at short intervals from three- to sixmonths, so that the animal becomes full-mouthed at four anaa haH or five years. There are again some cases in which thefirst set d permanent teeth begin to show symptoms of wearing before the last set is replaced. Such are some of theirregularities in dentition. Teeth formed in regular course 0:dentition are stronger and last longer than those cutirregularly. Teeth of cattle grazing in sto:t.'y soils naturallywear out earlier. Irregularity in teething must of course upset calculations of age founded upon regular dentition, theonly data for estimating age in those cases being the otherconditions already referred to.

One ring is formed on the horns when thl)e animal has twopermanent teeth, and every s u b s ~ q u e n t year, so that the ageof the animal may be roughly determined by inspecting thehorns. This is, however, a very unreliable method as the rin$sare often pared off.

SELECTION ~ F CATTLE FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES.. t may be useful to give here a brief account off the pointsWIiICh are generally understood by raiyats and breeders to


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BREEDS OF INDlAN CATTLE, MYSORE. 27indicate special fitness of cattle for the various servIces required of them. Cattle are to be judged by their capacity o:rfitness (1) for heavy draught, (2) for fast trotting or walkingwith a moderate weight to pull, (3) for carrying heavy loadsas pack bullocks, (4) for enduring fatigue and heat and exposure to the weather, (5) for milking, (6) for butter producing, (7) for slaughter, (8) for breeding, and (9) breakingin unruly and untrained animals.

The characteristics of animals adapted for slow but heavy Points ofcL'"'3ught a re - animals(a) Height, length and a big frame.(b) Thick, short and strong neck.(c) Broad chest and loins, witn a level back.(d) Well rounded barrel having strong, broad and deeply

bent ribs.(e) Short legs, good bone and well-formed but massiveshoulders and hind quarters.

Cattle of the jJ fahadeswara beUd breed and those castratedafter cutting six teeth are generally considered best fitted forheavy slow draught.

adaptedfor heavydraught.

In animals intended for fast trotting, the mechanical re- Characterquirements are different and to some extent the very reverse i s t ~ c s of.ammals m-of those fitted for heavy draught: - tended for(a) A medium sized but very compactly knit frame.(b) A long and comparatively thin neck and well balancedhead.(c) :More or less level back and broad loins.(d) A round but compaGt barrel.(e) Long and thick legs with small fetlocks.(fY Small h"Jmp, dewlap and sheath.(g) Thin and tight skin.(h) Narrow flanks .

..J The cattle of the Chitaldroog breed in general and amongthem those castrated at an early age, i.e., at four teeth andbelow, are known to be very speedy animals . Among otherfeatures of fast trotting bullocks may be mentioned short,thin tail small ears, thin long horns, thin soft hair, redeyes, long face, and muscles like whipcord.

fast trotting.


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28 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.Pack animals. The points of pack animals intended for carrying heavyloads a r e -

(O!) Bony, compact frame.Strong chest and loins, equally and well developed.I f these are weak, the animal struggles in ascents

and descents.(c) A level and wide back with strong vertebrre and wellarched ribs.(d) Short, straight and stout legs with short pasterns andwell-developed shoulders and thighs. ~I f the animals are short, it is al l the better for loading.

Cattle designed for this purpose should not be allowed to breedprior to castration which should be effected at the beginningof the sixth year. Most cattle suitable for this kind of work Olare found among t h e " Nadudana." As these animals havetel traverse al l kinds of soils and uneven ground, they shouldbe particularly strong in points (b), (c) and (d), and should

., have, besides, strong,' hard hoofs, of which the two halvesshould be equal.

Animals for The points of animals' intended for work involving mur.bwork involv l ' . .ing fatigue. J.atIgue and exposure are the same as those of fast trottmgbullocks. The smaller and more compact the animals themore capable are they of standing fatigue. A hardy course

of treatment in breeding such as the Amrut Mahal and othe.rsemi-wild herds undergo, prepares them for any extraordinary call upon their powers of endurance. White-skinnedcattle are delicate. They get a staring coat in the coBweather, are easily tired and perspire under work, and cannotstand heat or the inclemencies of the weather. Black-skinnedanimals, on the contrary, are hardy and can resist the effeetsof exposure. Cattle of the Hallikar breed and many bulls oft he" Nadu'ilana," especially those of Lingadahalli, Pavagada,Midigesi, '(Jettadapur and MetikuPl)e, are known to be hardy,

Characteristics of agood milker.

spirited, and capable of enduring much fatigue.The points of a good milking cow are not well understood

by the generality of breeders, dairy farming being in a backward state. From observations made, the following peculiar-ities appear to characterise good milkers: - 1)

(a) The neck\is long and thin and cauies a comparativelysmall h ~ a d .(b) The girth at the chest is. much less than that at theloins; the. greater this difference, the greater the

milking capacity, but the fall should be gradual.


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BREEDS OF INDIAN CA.TTLE, MYSORE. o 29(c) The udder is large and has big teats.(d) The calibre of the milk veins is large with extensiveramifications forming knots in their course. I fthese are continued backwards over and b\P'0nd

the udder into the milk-mirror, it is still better.(e) The skin is thin, loose and soft, hair fine downy andsometimes greasy to the touch.I t is asserted by some that the thighs should be thin and Points of &_stp,nd far apart. There is a difference of opinion on this good milker.'p5lnt. Good milkers often have ugly-shaped and small horns,

but this does not appear to be tne rule. Cows with a deep,pendulous belly and having small and shrunken udders are) bad milkers. Size of the udder is not, however, an unfailingtest of a good milker. Indeed the peculiarities generallyaccepted as indicating good or bad milkers are not an infalliglecriterion, and the most critical eye often fails in correctlyestimating the capacity of the cow. Cows are known to yieldmore milk when they drop their second, third, and fourthcalves, declining gradually frol4. that time in their yield ofmilk with every successive calf, unlike buffaloes in which milkincreases with every successive calf. The yield is comparatively poor at the first calving. Cattle kept in " roppas " in asemi-wild state are generally bad milkers. Mysore cows areon the whole bad milkers, the average yield being from haHto one seer each morning and evening. Of the several breedsfound in the Province cows of the M ahadeswara betta breedare the best milkers though judged by the standard of t,he" Golcai " or N ellore cows the quantity is poor and the qualityinferior except when special foods are' given. An averagecow of this breed with good food, yields It seers each time or3 seers a day, allowing as much for the calf. Cows df otherbreeds yield richer milk, though the quantity is less. TheAmrut Mahal and the kindred H allikar breed of Karadahalliare bad milkers;' Of dairy produce, ghi is the only valuablearticle. Milk is in little demand, except in towns. In villages milk is not used as food, and is rarely sold. Buttermilk or curds, from which butter has been extracted, mixedwith ragi-ball or rice, is a dish of the people. Milk and curdshave value in the neighbourhood of towns. Numbers ofpeople, women mostly, !from the surrounding villages may beseen pouring into large towns of a morning to sell their milk,butter, curds, and ghi. Systematic dairy farming on anylarge scale is as yet unknown.


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Yield of butter.

30 .. BREIms"OF INDHN CATTLE, l\1YSORKCows differ much in their yield of butter. Good butterproducing cows have generally compact udders and small teats.

The teats are glossy and hard and difficult to milk. This maybe due either to the orifice at the tip of the t.eats being smallor to "'the milk being thick, being impregnated with fatty andsolid matter. Milk containing mucu butYl'ucious matter is.. heavier, sweeter and less frothy. Generally cows whose udder

and the milk-mirror are greasy to the touch, produce morebutter for a given quantity of milk. H allikar and villag'?cattle are generally good butter-producers. -nimals are not, as a rule, bred purely for slaughter pur-poses, as the demand for them is connned to towns inhabitedby Europeans and Mahamadans. Cattle discarded from otherservices are generally the only ones sold to butchers.Large-sized, heavy and strong animals, slow by nature,and docile in their habits, are employed for bl'eaking in semiwild and unt.amed animals. Cat.tle of illahadeswam lJ.:ita.. breed are particularly fitted tor this work.

AMRUT MAHAL BREED.Among the breeds found in Mysore the first place is undoubtedly t.aken by the Amrut Uahal. The following history

of the breeds is summarised from Colonel Hay's report andother records. The different breeds composing the presentAmrut Ll1alwl cattle owe their origin to the cattle of the t.ribeof Gollas and their sub-tribe of Hallikal's who, with theirsuperior cattle, are believed to have migrated in ancient time'!in several successive waves from the North and settled indifferent parts now comprised in the Chitaldroog and TumkurDistricts.History oE T h e " [{aruhatti" establishment of the Vijayanugarthe breed. Viceroy (some time between 1572 and 1600) at Seringapatalll'consisted of Hallikm cows imported frolll Vijayanagul'. Thismay be said to haye been the nucleus of t h ~ 11ml'ut i1l{thatcattle. The Seringapatam cattle passed into the hands 01Wadayars of Mysore, SOllle of whom, notably ChamarajWadayar (1617-1636), Kantirava Narasaraj Wadayur (1638-1658), and the celebrated Chikka Devaraj Wadayar (l(j72_!.1704), made their own additions to them from t.ime to time,assigning "lwvals" in different parts of the Kingdom. I twas in Chikka Deyaraj Wadayar's time that the cattle establishment obtained recognition as one of the departments ofthe Adminiati'utioll. I t ' Y t ~ S called "Benne c7wradi" or


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>H

W..Jl I-- 4:( )..J4:J:4:::EIa::::E4:LL.ooa::wJ:


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BREEDS OF I N D I 1 L ~ CATTLE, MYSORE. 31'establishment of cows both as a breeding stud and to furnishmilk and butter for the Palace. He introductld for the firsttime the system of branding them with his initial. Theaccumulated herds of the Rajas of Mysore passed on to HyderAli when he usurped the throne. In extending his conq11es-t,and in reducing the numerous rulers who had held sway overmore or less extensive tracts in Mysore, he acquired also theherds of superior cattle belonging to them. Among thesemay be mentioned the Pallegars of Chitaldroog, Tarikere and,the Haja of Nagar. Hyder seems to have made extensive use'af the cattle which he had appropriated in the movements ofhis 'army equipage, and is popularly credited with havingkept at least 60,000 bullocks in different parts oif the Province,though they were not organised as carefully and in as minute'details as was afterwards done by Tippu, on a system whichhas in essential points been adhered to ever since. Upon'suoceeding to the throne of his ![j,ther, Tippu added to theseherds those of the Pallegar of Hagalvadi. Chikka Devaraj'Vadayar's suggestive name of " Benne chavadi " was changedin his time into a more pompous one o! Amrut M ahal fromAmruta=Nectar. Tippu. took great interest and issued a"Hukumnama," or regulations for the Department, thegreater part of which continued to be observed after the takingof Seringapatam, and the same system was afterwards !ollowed.by the British officers. The Dairy Department seems to havebeen on a large scale and amildars were expected to train theyoung steers which were allowed to graze in the raiyats' fieldsand were 0Iassified iwhen r e q u ~ r e d as gr'Un bullocks, packbullocks, and plough bullocks, etc. There was an annualmuster o! the herds, and Tippu frequently attended it in person and distributed rewards. Such was the composition ofthe A1Itrut lIfahal cattle inaugurated by Chiklm. DevarajvVadayar, reconstituted by Hyder AYi and thoroughly organised by Tippu Sultan The attention 'bf the British was first called to the excellence of the breed when it enabled Hyder Ali to march 100miles in two days and a haH to the relie! o! Chellumbrum,and after every defeat, to draw off his guns in the face of hisen.?mies; and when Tippu Sultan was e n a b l ~ d to cross thePeninsula in one month for the recovery of Bednore and tomarch 63 miles in two days before General Meadows. I t alsoenabled the Duke of vVellington to execute those marches ofunexampled rapidity which are the admiration of military men,and the Duke brought it prominently to the notice of the

j)


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BREEDS OF' INDIAN CA.TTLE, MYSORE.then Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Stuart. Othermemorable military events might also be cited t{) the creditof these cattle. I t is said that during the Peninsular Warthe Duke often regretted that he had not the services of thecatt :e of this breed. On the fall of Seringapatam the whole ofthe cattle became the property of the British Government,the management of the herds being allowed to remain withthe Maharaja of Mysore, on the condition of his supplying acertain number of bullocks. I t was probably imagined thatthe same attention would be given to the establishment ashad been extended to it by the former Government; but TippliSultan had depended on it for the efficiency of his army, andthe new Government could be actuated by no such motive.The consequence was that the establishment was left to theservants who had charge of it, and by them neglected andabused; the British Government were disappointed in theirexpected supplies, and the cattle were allowed to degenerateto such a degree that after a period of thirt.een years it becamenecessary to resume charge of it in order to preserve the breedfrom extinction. In 1813 the Am'I"Ut Mahal cattle, togetherwit.h the pasture lands, were handed over to Captain Harveyof the Madras Commissariat. The herds then rapidly improved and doubled in number in the course of but ten yeats.In 1840 the Maharaja's herds and grazings were amalgamatedwith those of the British Government and the whole placedunder the officers of the Mysore Commission. In 1860, frommotives of economy, Sir Charles Trevelyan ordered t.heestablishment to be broken up and the herds to be sold; thisappears to have been a fatal error alike in policy and economy,and the . results were detrimental to the public service. '1'heprice oft cattle soon became prohibit.ive (&150 each), and itwas, w i ~ h the cordial approval and assistance of the lateMaharaja, re-established in 1866 by the purchase of such cowsand bulls of the old breed as were procurable in the MysoreCountry; very few were obtained owing to tIle Pasha of Egypthaving secured most of the best blood; fortunately, however,the late Maharaja was a large purchaser when the old establishment was broken up, and the Madras Government wasable to obtain sufficient stock to fairly start again in 1870, h ecomplement being 4,000 cows and 100 bulls.

In 1883 the British Government handed over this valuableproperty to the 'Government of Ris Highness the 'Maharajafor :R.2,25,OOO. I t is now entirely under its control, and everyeffort is made by careful elimination of doubtful stock to re-. .


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BREEDS OF INDIAN OA'TLE, HYSORE. 88store the old breed. Stud books have been opened, and thecattle are mustered annually by name and brand. Births anddeaths are registered and reported in monthly return.'I, andfrauds on the part of subordinates have been to a great extentprevented. The Madras Government receive from the \stablishment 200 bullocks annually.

The cattle


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:BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, :IlY8OBlt'l'hey thicken gradually as the head is approached and ant very stnmaDear the base which seems to extend, a:pparent1;y to give strength, downthe forehead between the eyes as a distinct ricke on each side, thusforming a perpendicular groove or depression in the cantre of the forehead."


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BREEDS OF iNDIAN CATl'LE, MYSORE. 35

Lave a masculine look only with smaller hump and finerhorns. In color they are invariably of a lighter grey.These being the general features of the three great varietiescomposing the A ?nl'ut M ahal, some special h a r a c t e r i ~ t i c sdeveloped by local peculia6ties in the different herds mayhere be noticed. The catt le found in the "kavals" of theMysore District are of much larger size than those found inthe north. They have better bone, carry thicker and ratherless gracefully set horns, and have a thicker tail; their hoofsare said to be not so hard as those of cattle in Chitaldroog,

f r ~ m which they also differ in having a somewhat penduloussheath and dewlap. The cattle in the Tumkur, Hassan andKadur Districts, though slightly smaller in size, are verymuch like those in Mysore. The herds of the eastern parts ofthe Chitaldroog District consist of cattle of smaller size butof more compact and hardy frame with a finer tail, thinnerand more gracefully set horns and harder hoofs. The cattleof the western Chitaldroog and Chatlllagiri Tahlks resemblethe last named variety differing from them only in beingslightly bigger in size.

Heifers in the Mysore District generally calve in the sixthyear and are "Mukkandies." In the Hassan, Tumkur andKadur Districts they reproduce for the first time in the fifthyear and are generally " l k l c a n d i e . ~ Those in the Chitaldroog District and in 1he Channagiri Taluk are regular" Varshakandies" and commence calving in the fourth year.Twenty cows are allowed to one bull. The bulls are not useduntil they are five years old , and retain their vigour until theyare ten, after which they are castrated and discarded from theherd. The cows, though generally in good condition, do notget in season while in their Malnad "kavals" owing toexposure to rain and wet. \Vhen they are turned to their" Maidan Kavals t, they breed in great numbers. The most Sea.eon. forfavourable time for breeding, as is the case with other cattle, breedlDg.is when pasture an'd water are abundant, and the most favour-able months for births are January and February, and Augustto December. The calves remain with their mothers duringthe day, but are separated from them at night and are shelteredin fulds. When they are three months old they are able to

g i ' a ~ e and commence to subsist on pasture. In the cold seasonwhen the herbage is abundant, they are generally weanedwhen about five months old; such as are born later in the yearcahnot be separated from their mothers until after the hotweather. After separation care is taken to conduct them to theD 2


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Pasturelands.

86 BREEDS OF INDIAN CATTLE, MYSORE.richest pastures in the neighbourhood, but they are suppliedwith no food beyond what they can graze on pasture. Calvesare castrated when they are eight.een months old, in the coldseason. Early castration is the rule in this Department.

The cattle are kept in their grazing grounds, called" kavals," about 210 in number, distributed over the great.erportion of the Western and Central Mysore, and covering animmense extent of country. They comprise varieties of soilsoften undulating and covered with scrub jungle growth. Thecattle feed on various grasses, though "Vunaga" (Heteropogon contortus) is by far the most predominant. In" kavals " in valleys generally the grazing is most nutritious .As the country becomes more elevated, the grass is morescanty and inferior in quality. These" kavals" are dividedinto (1) hot weather, (2) wet weather, and (3) cold weather" lwvals," according to the season of the year at which they'are most suitable for grazing. The hot weather "kavals"are generally the beds of tanks in which grass springs upduring the hot months and where generally there are treescapable of affording shade to the cattle during the heat of theday. The cold and wet weather "kavals" are those wherethe grass dries up during the hot weather. The cattle aredriven for about four months in each year from about Mayto September to their Malnad "kavals." '1'he herds in thesouth are taken to the south-western jungles on the Coorgfrontier and those in the north to the Lakkavalli and Channagiri Forest "kavals " in the Kadur and Shimoga Districts,where the first showers of the advancing monsoon ensure anearly and abundant growth of grass. They then return totheir Maidan "lcavals" about the beginning of September ineach year, when the supply of grass is very plentiful al l overMysore. The whole of the cattle are divided into " Serwes .,or herds, each of which with the attendants attached to it is

Size of herds. kept separate and distinct. The establishment of each herdis fixed at two hUll(h' d breeding cows, O'1e hund;eq heifers,twelve bulls, and twenty "Peshros" or leade ... , ith thecalves of both sexes and of al l ages, the actual produce of theherd, the number of which, of course, varies according tocircumstances, but which, generally speaking, raises the Jtotalnumber of animals in each herd to five to six hundred head.

Each "Serwe" or herd is placed in charge of a "Serwegar" assisted by twa " Mundals," each of whom is responsiblefor the proper management of the cattle under his charge.An establishment of graziers and other attenda':lts is likewise


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CJ):: '0o._J:Jal_.J:::El e::::E


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BREEDS 01


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Not s u i t a ~ efor dairy. pttrpoees.

Pricesrealised.

88 BREEDS OF INDI

breeds of indian cattle 1895

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