Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, in the Revenue and Agricultural (General)
Department, No. 649 S., dated Simla, 1st August 1899.
READ —
Letter No. 1498, dated the 6th July 1899, from the Director of Land Records and Agricul-
ture, Punjab, being the Annual Provincial Report of the Civil Veterinary Department
for the year 1898-99.
REMARKS.—The Lieutenant-Governor is pleased to observe that the
remarks made in paragraphs 1 and 2 of last year's review as to the form of the
report have been acted upon, and that, as therein suggested, extracts from the
reports of the two Superintendents have been embodied in the report. The re-
arrangement of the statistical tables, by which the results are shown for the
Province as a whole and not for each circle separately as heretofore, has also added
greatly to the usefulness of the report.
2. The number of horse stallions was the same as in the previous year,
viz. 35. Pony stallions have increased by 6, their member amounting to 67.
The general impression appears to be that the stock of pony stallions is of more
practical use to the average zamíndár than that of horses. His Honor the
Lieutenant-Governor agrees that as regards the class of stallions to be maintained
by District Boards the wishes of the zamíndár should be a first consideration.
Still it may be doubted whether the mares which are the offspring of pony
stallions will " in a generation or two be high enough to put to Government
stallions," and whether it is really more to the interests of the zamíndárs to
breed from pony stallions. It must at least be admitted that the object
set forth in paragraph 9 of Government of India Circular No. 18/54, dated the
25th of May 1892—viz., the increase in the size of indigenous stock—would be
more effectively advanced by employing horse stallions.
3. The Lieutenant-Governor is of opinion that much more might be
done by District Officers in inculcating upon all owners of mares the necessity
for observing the rules for the treatment of mares after covering. Till this is
done no lasting improvement in the percentage of mares holding can be hoped for.
4. The Report of the Transport Committee which sat during the year
has once more directed attention to the subject of mule-breeding. Government
has undertaken to largely increase the number of Imperial donkeys in the
Province, and reports have been called for on certain points raised by the Com-
mittee. It is observed that a scheme has been introduced in the North-Western
Provinces of supplying cast mares to zamíndárs free of payment on condition
that each animal shall be covered once a year by a Government donkey stallion,
and that the mule produced shall be sold to Government. Possibly a similar
scheme might be found to answer well in this Province.
5. The difficulties which attended the treatment of a serious outbreak of
rinderpest in the Delhi and Gurgaon Districts, and the scant attention which the
Superintendents were able to give to cattle-breeding, only emphasizes the neces-
sity for the addition to the staff of a third Superintendent, who will devote all his
time to the cattle of the Province. This has already received the approval of the
Government of India, and it is hoped that the Director of Land Records will soon
be able to submit a detailed scheme for the reorganization of the staff of Veterinary
Assistants, who, under the guidance of the third Superintendent, would form a
useful agency for dealing with cattle disease.
6. His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor is pleased to observe that a new
Veterinary dispensary has been opened in Ferozepore, making the tenth of these
institutions at work in the Province. The number of patients treated in those
previously established has considerably increased. The Siálkot dispensaries
appear to have done most useful work.