3
The reduction in the present year is due to cheaper prices of grain and
fodder. The rates in the South Punjab are naturally higher owing to the
failure of crops in some of the southern districts.
II. —MULE-BREEDING.
5. The number of donkey stallions owned by District Boards was as
follows:—
Dera Ismail Khan
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Gurgáon
...
...
...
... ... ... ... ...
Mooltan
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Hissár
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Delhi
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
1
2
1
1
2
7
This is the same as last year.
The Superintendent, North Punjab (Veterinary-Lieutenant Trydell),
writes:—
" I concur with the late Superintendent that mule-breeding might be entirely left
in the hands of the Imperial Government. All good donkeys (the produce of the country)
are purchased by the Civil Veterinary Department, who have made every effort to increase
this industry during the year, and I consider with success."
The Superintendent, South Punjab, (Veterinary-Lieutenant Smith) is of
a contrary opinion. He writes :—
" If more donkey stallions were provided by District Boards, there is no doubt that
there would be a demand for them, and that a greater advantage would accrue to the owners
of small mares employing these donkey stallions in preference to the ordinary country-bred
pony stallion."
I am inclined to agree with Veterinary-Lieutenant Trydell. During
the year under report the Government has undertaken to largely increase the
number of Imperial donkeys in the Province. (See No. 5198 D., dated 12th
November 1898, from Government of India, Military Department, to the
Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department). Of the seventy-five donkeys
promised, twenty-five have already been placed in charge of leading men in the
best mule-breeding districts and another twenty-five will be provided this year.
The coverings by District Board donkey stallions in 1898-99 were 311,
or an average of 44.4 per stallion.
III. CATTLE DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
Cattle disease.
6. In Statement M. will be found statistics of cattle disease so far as
such disease has been reported. Foot and mouth disease
attacked 54,193 animals, but only 1.7 per cent. cases
were fatal.
The percentage of deaths was naturally largest from anthrax (89.3) and
rinderpest (57.1). The total cases of cattle disease increased from 59,231 in
1897-98 to 90,303 in the year under report; but the percentage of mortality
was as 17.9 to 10.1, the reason being that a much larger proportion of the cases
in 1898-99 consisted of foot and mouth disease, in which the mortality was
not great.
The following extracts are given from the reports of the Superintend-
ents :—
North Punjab.— Veterinary-Lieutenant
Trydell.
"One thousand three hundred and eighty-four deaths are shown from rinderpest out
of a total of 2,512 attacked. Gujránwála and Hazára are responsible for the largest
numbers, nearly half the deaths having occurred in these two districts, Siálkot reports only 4.
These figures are quite insignificant taking the enormous number of Cattle in my Circle.
"The total number of deaths from anthrax, foot and mouth disease, pleuro-pueumonia
and charbon is shown to be only 2,008. I consider that this is absolutely unreliable as it
would represant roughly two deaths per annum per thousand, supposing there were only one
million head in my Circle.
*
*
*
*
*