31

resistant" oats seed sent to the Farm by the Cerealist, Lyallpur
Agricultural College. Borer caused no serious trouble in the
Kharif.

The almost total failure of winter rain was very bad
for barani crops, and the yields were very poor.

No serious labour difficulty was experienced and malarial
and other fevers were less than usual owing to the dryness
of the year. The fodder famine in the locality led to an
epidemic of fodder stealing on the Farm, which was quickly
checked by catching and prosecuting several offenders.

6. The Bir.—The Bir suffered considerably by the
patchy rainfall, and the severe frost. Anjan grass grew
well in August, but subsequent rain was insufficient to bring
it to maturity. It was too short for haymaking. Ordinary
grass grew well, as it can grow with far less rain than Anjan,
but it is not of such good quality. Haymaking operations
therefore were practically confined to Bur grass. Bur has a
peculiar scent, which is probably why the cattle refuse to
eat it until they can get nothing else. I propose to carry out
experiments in feeding it chopped and mixed with other
ration. As it is the only grass that grows in years of scanty
or patchy rainfall, it is necessary to discover the best way to
utilise it.

An experiment has been made in burning jungle in the Bir
this year, and the effect on the grass will be watched during
the monsoon and reported on next year.

Illicit grazing as usual gave a lot of trouble. Every
one was short of grass and fodder. The new Head Darogha,
Subedar Arjan Singh, late of the 2/128th Pioneers worked
very hard to cope with this problem, ably backed up by
Daffedar Qasim Ali, the second Darogha. It is hoped in time
to fence the Bir a few miles at a time which will be a great
check on illicit grazing, and if the proposal to recruit a better
paid type of man, i. e., ex-soldiers from other parts of the
Province, instead of poorly paid Chaprassis from the local
villages, is sanctioned the offence should almost die out.
It is not only the grass stolen in this way that causes anxiety,
but also the danger of disease being introduced into the
Farm herds by their grazing over their land where the vil-
lage cattle have been.