3
Cost of feed and keep.
4. The average cost of feed and keep for horse
and pony stallions was as follows:—
South Punjab.
Horse ... ... ... ... ... ...
Pony ... ... ... ... ... ...
Donkey ... ... ... ... ... ...
North Punjab.
Horse ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Pony ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Donkey ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
1894-95.
Rs.
232
166
127
227
204
a.
12
8
2
8
12
...
p.
6
0
0
10
7
1895-96.
Rs.
243
228
137
233
232
155
a.
12
2
6
3
3
8
p.
0
1
6
2
10
2
These figures show a large increase due to the rise in price of grain and
fodder.
Mares branded or un-
branded for district horse-
breeding.
5. The total number of mares suitable for horse
and pony-breeding present at the close of the year is
said to be—
South Punjab... ... ...
North Punjab... ... ... ...
Total ... ...
Horse.
6,681
3,723
10,404
Pony.
10,926
12,864
23,790
Total.
17,607
16,587
34,194
These figures, however, are very far from correct.
The districts of
Ludhiánn, Kángra, Dera Gházi Khan and Muzaffargarh in the South Punjab
sent blank returns, and in the North Punjab no information was supplied from
Hazára, Jhelum, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu. And 1 do not think that any
thing like correct figures can ever be expected.
II.—MULE-BREEDING.
Donkey stallions belong-
ing to District Boards.
6. As regards mule-breeding both the Superintendents seems to think
that District Boards might leave this branch of the work
to the Imperial donkeys, and I entirely agree with them,
and would prefer to see District Boards devote their attention in this connection
entirely to pony or horse-breeding. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, South Punjab, writes—"I do not see the necessity for District Boards
buying donkey stallions for mule-breeding as the want of them can be supplied
by the Imperial stallion," and the Superintendent, North Punjab, writes—" The
only difference would be that the cost of feed and keep would fall on District
Funds instead of Imperial."
Only 6 donkey stallions were kept by District Boards during the year,
5 in South Punjab and only 1 in the North Punjab, i.e., at Gujrát.
Four hundred and ninety-eight mares were covered, against 233 last year.
The number of mules and donkeys dropped was reported to be 63, giving an
average of 27.04 per hundred coverings and of 15.75 per donkey stallion.
The average cost of feed and keep per stallion was Rs. 146-7-1, against
Rs. 127-3-5 last year.
III.—CATTLE DISEASE INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
7. As regard cattle disease investigation and prevention, very little
was done by the Superintendents. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, North Punjab, remarks in paragraph 20.
"Beyond collecting and compiling statistics on the various forms of cattle disease
"in the North Punjab, I have had little to do with actual direction of the measures taken
"to suppress cattle disease, my time being wholly taken up in visiting the stallion stands
"branding mares and superintending the horse-breeding operations generally. The
"information embodied in Table M, herewith attached, is collected from the reports
"received from Deputy Commissioners and shows that cattle disease is on the increase
"especially rinderpest. The large increase in the total figures as compared with last
"year is partly due to reports and statistics having this year been received from Kohát,
"Pesháwar and Siálkot, whereas last year the reports from these three districts were