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336. A report was received of the stallion in the month of January, when
the Political Officer, Sikkim, stated as follows:—
"Up to date the Donkey has covered no mares, the people considering these last months
unfavourable for good results. It is hoped that the people will now bring in their mares to
be covered, and notices to this effect have been issued."
337. The Political Officer now reports that the Donkey stallion "Charakh"
is at Lachung covering mares, but that no reports of the number covered
have come to hand. The Donkey covered no mares in Gantak since his
arrival. A reference to Appendices LIX and LX will show that Rs. 169.4.6
had been expended to meet the cost of feed, keep, attendance, &c., of the stallion
up to February 1898, and that no mares were covered by the stallion during
the year 1897-98.
338. I regret I have not yet had time to visit Sikkim in connection with
mule-breeding.
339. In paragrap III of my last Annual Report I remarked that the
Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department, had sanctioned an attempt to
introduce mule-breeding into Shahabad.
340. Babu Hurdhyan Singh, Vice-Chairman of the Buxar Municipality,
undertook to look after the Donkey. Ho was to provide stabling, &c, but
not the cost of feeding and attendance.
341. When all was apparently arranged the question of paying for the
transit of the Donkey arose. Neither Babu Hurdhyan Singh nor the Buxar
District Board would defray this expense. It was then suggested that the
Donkey should be kept at the new Veterinary Dispensary at Dumraon, but the
Manager postponed the subject till I could see him at Barapur Fair.
342. The result of our conference was that the Raj is prepared to keep a
Pony stallion, but not a Donkey stallion.
343. I cannot help feeling some regret that means could not be found to
relieve Babu Hurdhyan Singh of the transit charges of the Donkey stallion
because there are very few people who are keen about mule-breeding in
these Provinces and still fewer who understand anything about it. Babu
Hurdhyan Singh seems to me the only likely person to act as pioneer in
this branch, and I again express regret that he has not received the support
which it seems to me was his due. Ho seems to have been treated as though
we were conferring a favour upon him by sending a donkey stallion to him,
whereas he wished to help us.
I venture to hope that a Punjabi Donkey stallion may be provided for
Babu Hurdhyan Singh to look after, and that he may be relieved of all costs
connected with the enterprise. If Imperial funds cannot be made available,
then the money should come from Provincial funds.
344. I do not think there would bo much chance of mule-breeding being
successfully started at Dumraon; but it might have been started at Buxar and
have spread into the neighbourhood.
345. The subject of further developing mule-breeding in Bengal is under
consideration. In consequence of a request from the Inspector-General, Civil
Veterinary Department, I have addressed the district officers on the subject,
but have only received a small number of replies.
CATTLE-BREEDING.
346. The subject of cattle-breeding has occupied a large portion of my
attention during the past year, and I have inspected nearly all the bulls that have
been distributed by the Agricultural Department in former years and through
the Civil Veterinary Department more recently, and in Appendix LXI will
be found some interesting information as to the success or failure of the
animals during the current year. Besides the bulls mentioned, applications
have been received from various wards' estates, &c., as well as from Assam,
for bulls.
347. In my last annual report it was said that the breed of cattle is dege-
nerating. I am sorry to report that more extended experience has not shaken
that opinion, which applies as much to the cattle of Muzaffarpur as to those
of Khulna and elsewhere.
E