FARMING IN INDIA.

Shannon News, 31 May 1929, Page 4

FARMING IN INDIA.

PRODUCING BETTER CATTLE

How real are the barriers that impede progress in farming methods in India was told by Mr F. E. Traynor, of the Imperial cattle breeding farm, Karnal, Punjab, who arrived at Auckland by the Maunganui from Sydney recently, to spend a. year's furlough in .the Dominion, which he -is visiting for the first time.

The Imperial government started a dairying institute in the Punjab in 1923, with a view to improving the breed of cattle and getting the stud bull into the country, said Mr Traynor. The idea was to provide a dual purpose animal—dual purpose in a sense not applicable to New Zealand, where, after serving its day-as a dairy cow, a beast was fattened with a view to killing. In India the natives would not kill any animal of the ox type, no matter how long it had outlived its usefulness. The Government officials had no desire to hurt the religious sentiment of the people of India, but an attempt was-be-ing made to induce the natives not to breed from the useless type of animal! Oh the caittle-breeding farm at Kama! two breeds", the Hissar and t'he-Tharpa-kar, were being utilised with a view to improving the strain and producing a dual purpose animal for milk and for work.

The result, said Mr Traynor, might be that a type would be produced which might be slightly inferior to the present milking strain or the present draught animal, but the dual purpose would be served by the one'type of animal, and the ultimate result would bo h substantial improvement on the present position. On the farm some native boys were being trained with a view to becoming instructors, tflms seconding the efforts of the Imperial government officials among thedr own people.

Although he has ,spent 24 years in India, Mr Traynor is convinced that the country is not one well suited to European wants,' and he proposes to leave his wife and children in New Zealand with a view to retiring here himself when his term of service expires within a few years. New Zealand was regarded as an eminently desirable -place, to which to retire, he said, Auckland being particularly reeommcndod to those who had had long residence in India. While on furlough here, Mr Traynor proposes to see as much of the. country as possible-with a view to studying the agricultural and pastoral methods.