3
it is hoped that the measures already taken by the Superintendent and the
orders passed in paragraph 5 of Government Resolution No. 1473, dated 20th
February 1895, will conduce to more accurate information on this point.
During the year under report 51 mules were purchased by the Commissariat
Department for transport purposes. The suggestion in paragraph 42 of the
report regarding the advisability of purchasing young stock for the Ahmednagar
Rearing Depôt at all the Sind shows should be communicated to the Director
of Army Remounts for such action as may be deemed necessary.
6. The number (171) of colts castrated by Veterinary Assistants and
Salutris during the year exceeded by 62 the number (109) in 1893-94, but as in
the previous year the Veterinary Assistants do not seem to have paid sufficient
attention to this part of their duty as out of the total number only 19 colts were
castrated by them. The Collectors of the districts in which there are Veterinary
dispensaries should be requested to draw the attention of the Dispensary Com-
mittees to this matter.
7. The total expenditure of the Department rose from Rs. 60,581 in
1893-94 to Rs. 66,857 in 1894-95. The Provincial share of this cost amounted to
Rs. 41,352 as compared with Rs. 35,767 in 1893-94, and Rs. 11,573 and Rs. 13,932
were debited to Local Funds and Imperial Revenues respectively. The increase
in cost occurs mainly under the heads mentioned below :—
Prizes at horse-fairs … … … …
Purchase of stallions … … … …
Feed, keep, &c., of stallions (Provincial share) ...
1893-94.
4,600
5,514
15,750
1894-95.
5,600
7,250
18,788
The average cost of maintenance of each horse and pony stallion rose from
Rs. 346 in 1893-94 to Rs. 357 in the year under report, and that of each donkey
stallion from Rs. 279 to Rs. 286. The increase in the former case is attributed
by the Superintendent to heavier expenses on account of the transfer of
stallions. The attention of the Superintendent should be drawn to the remarks
made on this subject by the Survey Commissioner and Director of Land Records
and Agriculture in paragraph 12 of his memorandum.
8. During the year under report cattle disease prevailed more or less in
all the districts of the Presidency proper except the Panch Maháls and Dharwar,
and in the district of Shikárpur in Sind. No reports were received by the
Superintendent from the Collectors of Khándesh, Surat and Bijápur, but the
Survey Commissioner and Director has supplied the figures for the last two
districts. Out of a total of 17,273 cattle reported to have been attacked by
various contagious and infectious diseases 10,014 or 58 per cent died. Disease
was especially prevalent in the districts of Kánara and Sholápur where the
figures stood as follows:—
Kánara
Sholápur
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cases.
7,070
2,657
Deaths.
4,173
1,246
The usual precautionary measures to prevent spread of the diseases were adopted
by the Veterinary Assistants in those districts in which they are employed,
but the Superintendent states that great difficulty is experienced by these officers
in inducing owners to segregate infected cattle. Government have read with
interest the Superintendent's remarks on cattle-breeding, and they should be
communicated to the several Collectors and Presidents of Local Boards.
Government entirely concur in the view that no attempt should be made to intro-
duce innovations unless a very careful study of all the conditions shows that
improvement is very likely to result.
9. All the Veterinary dispensaries in the Presidency except that at Surat
established in October 1894 were inspected by the Superintendent, who reports
favourably of the work of the Veterinary Assistants in charge of them and of
Itinerating Veterinary Assistants. The total number of animals treated was