PART II.—PROVINCIAL REPORT.
VIII.—GENERAL.
Provincial cost
of Department.
355. Table Q. (page cxi) shows the provincial cost of the Department for
the official year 1894-95, amounting to Rs. 1,51,064-6-4. No comparison of
the cost can be made with the expenditure of 1893-94, as the information fur-
nished last year was very incomplete.
General
Re-
marks.
356. Some progress has been made this year in the provincial portion of the
report. More information is, year by year, being obtained from the various
Superintendents on the subjects of cattle disease and breeds of cattle; much,
however, remains to be clone, still, I trust that the progress made during the
year under review will meet with the approval of the Government of India.
Had we a Veterinary Officer in each province whose duty would be confined to
cattle, then progress would be ensured, as it is, some of our officers' time is
fully occupied with horse breeding others with education.
As was intimated in last year's report, a set of forms for the compilation of
the provincial portion of the annual Administration Report was drawn up
and submitted for the approval of all Local Governments and Administra-
tions. These forms have been adopted, except in the case of Madras, and
have been the means of supplying much useful information.
Horse breeding
(Provincial.)
357. The progress made under this heading is most satisfactory. The
essential points brought forward last year have received careful attention,
amongst these may be mentioned : —
(a) Improvement in the class of stallions provided for District Boards.
Great care was exercised in the selection of ponies ranging from
13-3 to 14-1. The average price paid was Rs. 547, but every
animal issued was such as would be likely to get good stock.
(b) Non-interference with District authorities. I still hold to this
opinion and have purposely refrained from making any sugges-
tions. I feel it will be better to allow this system to get a good
footing and to become popular as it is fast doing; then if the
District authorities wish to do so, the advisability of branding
mares for service by District Board stallions can be considered.
On this subject the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North-
Western Provinces and Oudh, in his Provincial report to the Director of Land
Records and Agriculture, states:—
" The branding of mares for Provincial stallions, I believe, will become necessary later on, but
for the first couple of years it will make the system more popular to allow them to cover all mares
that come. And in another year or two, when the system you mentioned in your letter of Decem-
ber last of charging a fee of Rs. 2 for each mare, comes into practice, I believe it will have the effect
of reducing the number of bad mares considerably, as only those that have mares that are likely
to breed fairly good foals will be willing to pay the fee."
I would recommend branding to be gradually introduced and when the
time arrives, some brand, totally distinct to the Imperial brand, will have to
be devised so that it should carry no penalty with it, this is to say that officers
in Government employ should not be prevented from purchasing mares brand-
ed for service by Provincial stallions.
I am not aware of the system referred to by the Superintendent, Civil Ve-
terinary Department, North-Western Provinces and Oudh, but I am totally
against any fees being charged.
(c) Orders have been issued to the Superintendents in charge of North-
Western Province and Punjab Depôts, that every District Board
stallion is to be sent out in charge of a reliable syce, fully train
ed, not only in the care of stallions but in the covering yard as
well.
Mule breeding.
(Provincial.)
358. Allusion has been made to this in the body of report; as was there
stated, not nearly as much importance need be paid to this as to horse breeding by
Provincial Agency, for whereas good indigenous pony sires are not obtainable