(11)
107. The failure of one donkey stallion should not cause discouragement,
considering the importance of mules to the Military Department. I would
suggest that this matter be persevered with until success does reward our
efforts.
108. I am happy, therefore, to be able to report that the Inspector-
General, Civil Veterinary Department, has consented to send another donkey
stallion to Guntok, and the necessary conditions have been accepted by the
Political Officer of Sikkim.
109. From the appended statement (Appendix XXVI) it will be seen
that Rs. 71-8 only had been expended up to January 1896 for feed and keep
of the stallion out of the Imperial grant of Rs. 250. No bill since that month
has been received here.
110. It is proposed to attempt to further develop mule-breeding in
Sikkim, and I hope to be able to find time to visit the district with this object.
111. I am glad to report that an attempt to introduce mule-breeding into
Buxar has been sanctioned by the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, and only awaits the approval of the Government of Bengal. Babu Har-
dhyan Singh, Vice-Chairman of the Buxar Municipality, has undertaken to look
after the donkey stallion.
CATTLE BREEDING.
112. For some time I have been engaged in collecting data for a report
upon cattle-breeding in these provinces, in accordance with a request from the
Director of Land Records. A. full report is not yet ready for submission, but
various short reports have been submitted of tours made in connection with
this subject.
113. As a preliminary step in the inquiry, I have collected the history of
every bull which, as far as I know, has been acquired through the agency of the
Civil Veterinary Department or the Director of Land Records, and I give the
result in Appendix XXVIA.
114. It will be seen that the largest percentage of successes belongs to
Hissar bulls.
115. Speaking generally, the best draught cattle are to be found in Upper
Bengal, where the best grazing is procurable.
116. The question of grazing areas is of vital importance in this province,
and the Revenue Department is to be congratulated for not losing sight of this
matter in settling Orissa. I am not aware if in Bengal there is any danger
of the grazing grounds being encroached upon; but if any such danger exists,
I hope, for the sake of our cattle, that these areas will be strictly protected.
117. In Upper Bengal there is a large cattle trade; dealers export the
animals to the rest of the province, even as far as Mymensingh and Assam.
Moreover, the Commissariat Department of the North Western Provinces sends
officers to up-country fairs to purchase.
118. It has been said that the breed is deteriorating, and that fresh blood
is needed. I have myself noticed that the legs and feet of a good many animals
are not as good as they might be, and this applies particularly to the bigger
bullocks.
119. I have conversed with many practical men, and they all say that
Hansi and Hissar bulls are what they' want.
120. I think it may be safely admitted that, as regards breeding draught
bullocks, neither the planters nor the raiyats in Upper Bengal have much to
learn from anyone.
121. They know very well what is wanted to refresh the breed, but the
difficulty is to get good bulls for the purposes. In the absence of good bulls,
they have to make use of what they can procure locally.
122. Hansi and Hissar bulls are not easily procured. It took six months to
obtain three bulls from Hissar for Sitamarhi district, and they have not given
complete satisfaction owing to their not being considered big enough (58" and
59" only).
123. My predecessor formulated a very good scheme for supplying bulls
in a cheap way to Bengal. He suggested that Brahmini bulls from up-country
should be imported into Northern Bengal, and superfluous local Brahminis
exported from there to the lower districts. The obvious danger of importing