13
ducted by the Gujarat Cattle Preservation Society under the presidency of the
Commissioner, Northern Division. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, is adviser to the Association on matters connected with breeding and
management; and it is under the management of a graduate of the Bombay
Veterinary College. The breeding stock consists of 7 bulls and 216 cows and a
total of 564 head, of which 286 is young female stock. It has been suggested
that the Chharodi herd should be removed to a more suitable district near Deesa.
In Bombay, land in the vicinity of Sholapur was taken over from the Forest
Department for the purpose of opening a cattle breeding farm, but after con-
sideration the scheme has been dropped.
77. In the United Provinces, a site has been selected by the Superinten-
dent near Lakhimpur (Kheri district) for a bull breeding depôt and the matter
is under consideration. It is also proposed to maintain a herd of pure Khairi-
garh cattle at the Peagpur estate in the Bahraich district. The proposal to
establish Bull rearing farms in Bengal has been dropped for the present.
78. A revised scheme for a bull breeding farm neay Sargodha, at an
initial outiay of Rs. 1,29,809, has been generally approved by the Punjab
Government. The grazing rights in the Dreema rukh near Sargodha have
been applied for. When the site is sanctioned, operations will be commenced
and hopes are entertained that in time 50 bulls, suitable to the Northern dis-
tricts, will be issued annually.
(2) EQUINES (UNDER LOCAL BODIES).
79. Horse, pony and mule breeding in non-selected districts suitable for
the purpose form a very important duty of the Department. When the Horse-
Breeding Commission recommended the transfer of all Military breeding
operations to the Military Department, only certain districts of those in which
the branding of mares and provision of stallions had been in force, were con-
sidered to be sufficiently suitable to warrant the considerable expense which
necessarily attends them. Thus, numerous districts which had previously
been within the scope of the operations, were suddenly cut adrift; some of
them contained considerable numbers of branded mares and mares for mule-
breeding, but owing to Government stallions always having been provided,
there were practically no private stallions kept by the people. It has been
found necessary therefore to provide as many horses as were required from the
Civil side, partly from District Board funds and partly from Provincial
revenues, with the assistance of grants from the Government of India. In
this way a number of horse and pony stallions have been placed in the districts
and are doing good work.
80. The provision of donkeys for mule breeding for which many of our
districts are very suitable has, however, not been so easy a matter on account of
the difficulty which has been experienced in purchasing suitable sires. Many
of the donkeys we have at present employed in the districts are those which were
not selected by the Remount Department and are becoming too old and worn
out for work. The subject of replacing them is under consideration and it is
hoped that a satisfactory solution of the difficulty may be arrived at and the
jacks be procurable, as the mule breeding industry is one of very great import-
ance both from an industrial and a military point of view.
81. These breeding operations can be carried out very cheaply by the
Department if we continue on the lines at present in force, as they entail the
entertainment of no extra staff for the collection of statistics, and the work is
carried on side by side with the other veterinary duties of the districts. When
the projected Subordinate Veterinary staff is available and sufficient Imperial
Officers appointed, it will be easier than at present and the inspection of
stallion stands, etc., will be as much a matter for attention as the cattle and
other breeding operations being carried on in the same area.
82. The present method of providing stallions leaves a good deal to be
desired. Provincial Governments and the Government of India have done a
good deal to supply such needs as have been represented, but it is believed