10
in India, 17 were removed from the Register, leaving a closing balance of
199.
Number of stallions
at work.
96. The number of stallions actually at work, vide Table V, (Provincial)
was 192 against 177 in the previous year. The remaining 7 were purchased
almost at the close of the year under report.
Casualties.
97. A reference to Table III (Provincial) will show that 4 stallions died
and 5 were destroyed; the percentage being 3.84 and 1.92 respectively.
Sales.
98. Table IV (Provincial) will show that 8 stallions were sold during the
year: the average price realized was R127.
Cost of feed and
keep.
99. Table IX (Provincial) will show that the cost of feed and keep was as
follows:—
Ponies
.
.
R255 against R296 last year.
The highest averages appear in Madras and Burma, and although the
figures show a satisfactory decrease over last year's averages, the amount is
still in excess of any other Province in India.
Number of mares
covered by District
Board stallions.
100. A reference to Table V (Provincial) will show that 10,401 mares
were served by District Board stallions against 9,464 in the previous year, giving
an average of 54.17 per stallion against 53.46 last year. The number of pro-
duce is 2,663 against 2,398 in the previous year, thus showing a satisfactory
improvement generally.
Provincial cost of
the Department.
101. Table XVIII shows the Provincial cost of the Department. The
total for the year under report is R3,33,691-8-10 against R2,92,748-7-8 in the
previous year, showing an increase of R40,943-1-2. The principle increases
appear under the head of " Superintendent, Provincial Circle, Punjab ", an
office newly created. Bengal and Burma also show an increase of expenditure
over last year's figures, under the head "Contingencies".
II.-MULE-BREEDING.
Donkey stallions
belonging to
District Boards.
102. Referring to Table VII (Provincial) it will be observed that of 19
donkey stallions maintained by District Boards, 18 were actually employed at
stud work, viz., 11 for mule-breeding and 7 for donkey-breeding. Cost of
feed and keep will be found in Table XII (Provincial).
103. The number of mares covered was 379 pony mares and 76 donkey
mares, against 273 and nil respectively in the previous year.
Produce.
104. Only 38 mules are reported to have been dropped against 59 last year.
This goes to prove how utterly unreliable the information is. No agency exists
for the collection of accurate statistics, and until this is done any criticism
of the figures is unnecessary.
III.-CATTLE DISEASE-INVESTIGATION AND
PREVENTION.
Outbreaks of cattle
disease.
105. With the exception of the Punjab and Burma, the provincial staff
necessary for this work is not as complete or as fully organized as it should be.
106. Table XX (Provincial) shows Provinces where outbreaks of cattle
disease occurred. The figures from the Punjab and Burma are no doubt
approximately correct, but the remainder are, I think, too unreliable to be
accepted.
PREVENTIVE INOCULATION AGAINST RINDERPEST, ETC.
107. During the past year great attention has been given to this most
important subject, and I have endeavoured to put it on a sound basis and to
work on systematic lines. A special course in serum therapeutics was institu-
ted at Muktesar and 55 men from all parts of India have been trained since
last October. This output will be considerably increased when the branch