NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
5
Goat breeding.
11. Contagious abortion has broken out among the
goat herd, bringing breeding operations
for the present more or less to a stand-
still.
The progeny are well up to breeding standards and are
likely to justify the expense incurred in starting this herd.
Stud goats were issued for breeding to districts as shown
below:—
Hissar District ..
..
..
..
Ferozepore District..
..
..
Gurgaon District..
..
Rohtak
District..
..
..
Ambala District.. .. .. ..
Total ..
10
12
2
7
1
32
Donkey breeding.
12. One donkey stallion was recently imported from
America through the agency of the Army
Remount Department. This is a most
promising jack and is undoubtedly the type of donkey requir-
ed for the stud.
Arab breeding.
13. The Arab stallion Sad-Salam purchased from
Bombay in November 1928 is breeding
some very promising young stock. The
cost, however, of rearing young stock for issue as
stallions, on account of the amount of handling, and stall
feeding necessary, is not very encouraging as a business pro-
position in spite of every effort to economise. I feel that
the Department may find it more economical to have re-
course to the open market for its requirements in future.
Contagious diseases.
14. There was no outbreak of Rinderpest among the
Farm cattle during the year under re-
port. The mortality among stock was
35 from the following diseases:—
Foot and Mouth disease
..
..
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia .. ..
Black quarter .. .. ..
Other contagious diseases in bovines ..
Contagious diseases in other animals ..
Total
1
3
4
9
18
35
6
Contagious abortion.
15. (a) Donkeys.—A fresh lot of vaccine was obtained
from Veterinary Research Institute,
Muktesar. It is too early to give any
opinion on its usefulness or otherwise. 67 mares were treated,
out of which 5 have aborted.
(b) Goats.—Abortion in goats has been a constant source
of worry during the year under report. An investigation of
this outbreak is in progress in collaboration with the Research
Officer, Muktesar.
(c) Cattle.—The presence of B. Abortus-Bang has been
confirmed in cases of abortion in cows which occurred during
the year. Necessary steps are being taken.
Hospital.
16. A brief summary of the work done at the Farm
Hospital is as follows :—
(1) Daily average No. of animals treated
(2) Inoculations performed .. ..
(3) Castrations performed .. ..
(4) Post-mortem examinations ..
Year
under
report.
63
1,907
40
383
Previous
year.
94
3,937
61
621
(1) Hospital records show that a case of miliary Tuber-
culosis was detected in a cow on Post-mortem examination,
whilst two cows suspected of Tuberculosis were put to the
tuberculin (Subcutaneous) test with negative results.
(2) Three cases of Johne's disease amongst the herd
cows were confirmed.
(3) A careful trial was given to the method of treatment
advocated for Foot and Mouth disease by intravenous in-
jections of Lugol's solution of Iodine. The results were
disappointing.
(4) The treatment of string-halt in cattle by local in-
jections of Iodine was tested with fairly satisfactory results.
(5) A systematic survey of internal parasites of live
stock on the Farm is in progress.
(6) The eradication of warbles following the methods
recommended by the Leathersellers Company's Warble Fly
Committee is being followed on the Farm.
7
(7) The facilities for an investigation into sterility in
cattle are about to be exploited by one of the Veterinary
Officers of the Farm. Preliminary arrangements have been
made.
(8) Exact information is being sought as to the first oc-
currence of Oestrum amongst Farm-bred heifers.
(9) The viability of the Anthrax bacillus after fixation
and staining by the ordinary methods was tested with in-
teresting results. The latter would appear to show that the
ordinary fixation and staining of Anthrax blood smears does
not eliminate the danger of human infection from such slides
Fodder.
17. The following table shows the receipts of grain and
fodder from the cultivation and the
Bir:—
Grain (seed)
..
...
..
Dry Fodder
..
..
..
Green Fodder
..
..
..
Ensilage
..
..
Ensilage Grass
(Bur)..
..
Total
..
Direct
cultiva-
tion.
Maunds.
10,006
49,115
41,313
65,133
..
165,567
Tenants.
Maunds.
2,584
4,614
..
..
..
7,198
Bir.
Maunds.
..
38,252
..
..
2,625
40,877
The Farm's cultivation included 1,164 acres of Jowar in
Kharif 1930. The crop of early Jowar was very satisfactory,
whilst the later sown Jowar as well as the second cutting from
the early crop were spoiled to some extent by the very heavy
rainfall in the month of July. The failure of the rains after
August contributed to the short outturn, so that considerably
less Kurby Jowar was harvested than in previous years.
Owing to the shortage of canal water in October and
November, the Berseem, Lucerne and Cabbage crops suffered
greatly, the Lucerne showing up best under drought condi-
tions.
8
The water supply from the Western Jumna Canal during
the year under report was one of the worst ever experienced.
Each full supply turn was several days short and the water
was often deficient in height giving poor command. This
resulted in a smaller acreage of crops than was anticipated,
while the quality and yield have also been badly affected;
grain and bhusa being much below average.
Fodder Reserve.
18. The total reserve at the end of the year was 190,664
maunds as against 151,993 maunds in
the previous year—an increase of
nearly 40 thousand maunds.
Expansion.
19. The squaring of the old cultivated area continued
during the year under report, also the
lay-out of certain other parts of the
cultivation was considerably improved. The cultivation staff
are reported to have worked well as the agricultural work
during the last summer was very heavy.
Experiments on fodder
crops.
20. Experiments with Sun-flower and Salt bush were
continued. While they are regarded
as promising fodder crops it is too early
to come to any definite conclusions.
Locusts.
21. Swarms of adult locusts first appeared in the Bir
area in early July and then settled on
the Chhaoni Cultivation and on the
Thaska and Stable Birs near the cultivated block and also
near Satyanwali Diggi. Thanks to the prompt measures
taken, only a small percentage survived to carry out oviposi-
tion under the small brush wood in the Bir.
The place where the swarm had laid eggs, was marked
and washed, and the hatching nymphs were all killed
before their first moult by trampling, rolling and crushing.
Nymphs in different stages of growth from the surround-
ing villages made their way into the Farm Bir from the end of
July onwards till the middle of August. The zamindars of
these villages made no attempt to destroy them in the egg
stage, and, finding the hoppers out of their control, concen-
trated their efforts in driving them into the Farm area. They
were kept well under control by the Bir staff, so that very
little actual damage was done. Trenching and crushing them
with sticks and by trampling, and burning them in bushes in
the early mornings were the most successful methods adopted.
These visitations by locusts cost the Farm some Rs. 500 in
labour alone.
9
Fire.
22. Fire broke out in the Bir on 9 occasions during the
year under report, which is a big in-
crease on previous years. The Deputy
Commissioner, Hissar, has issued orders through the lambar-
dars of the surrounding villages to instruct the villagers to
refrain from smoking or dropping lighted matches, biris or
other inflammable materials when passing through the Gov-
ernment Bir. The time wasted in having to deal with these
fires is costly, apart from the loss of valuable grazing.
General.
23. (a) Investigations of certain diseases are in progress
and their results are being keenly
watched.
(b) Several petty improvements in the Farm buildings
the completion of which would have made for greater efficiency
on the Farm, had to be held over for want of funds.
(c) The Farm maintains two workshops, one at Mundi-
anwala and the other at the Home Farm, for the repairs to
Farm machinery, tools, plant and rolling stock, etc. The
output of work was satisfactory.
(d) Instructional classes for cattle theft police on the
branding of cattle, and for syces in the care and manage-
ment of district board stallions were provided during the year.
(e) A long beam with a. special attachment was fixed to
the body of the Punjab plough, which has been found most
successful. A plough of this kind was supplied for trial to
each of the Remount Depôts at Mona and Babugarh.
(f) Owing to the difficulty in producing indelible tat-
tooing marks on the ears of cattle it was found necessary to
abandon this method of identification of cattle against cattle
theft pending further investigation into the possibilities of
tattooing. Investigational work is now in progress on the
Farm.
(g) The existing Co-operative Societies are making satis-
factory progress.
2.—GRANTEE CATTLE FARMS.
24. There are 6 Grantee Farms in the Lower Bari Doab
Canal Colony, including a Dairy Grant of 485 acres near
Montgomery for the supply of milk to that city under the
supervision of this Department. The table below gives
10
details of the number of stock on these farms at the end of the
year under report:—
Name of the Farm.
Hissar Breed Farms.
1. Bahadurnagar Farm ..
2. Qadirabad Farm ..
3. Fazalabad Farm ..
Montgomery or Sahiwal Breed
Farms.
4. Jahangirabad Farm ..
5. Allahdad Khan Farm ..
Dairy Farm.
6. Montgomery Dairy Farm
Area in
acres.
3,131
1,000
3,140
4,226
3,800
485
REQUIRED STRENGTH
OF HERD.
Cows.
400
125
400
500
175
150
Bulls.
6
3
6
8
4
3
Buffaloes.
DETAILS OF STOCK AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.
Cows.
398
124
334
514
171
102
33
Herd bulls.
7
4
6
8
4
4
3
Produce.
Male
259
70
194
318
112
3
..
Female.
272
72
244
311
114
82
15
Bulls issued
during the
year.
23
17
37
14
4
..
..
Of these, the Jahangirabad Farm shows greatest promise,
because of the grantee's readiness to develop his farm on
commercial lines and to carry out generally the recommenda-
tions of the Department. The grantee has also agreed to
maintain a small selected buffalo herd in order to furnish
buffalo bulls for the Department's scheme of distribution in
selected areas.
11
Shergarh small holders'
grants.
25. These grants consist of 218½ rectangles of 7 chaks,
Nos. 20—26 1. A. L. near Shergarh.
The peasant grantees are required to
keep two Montgomery cows for each
rectangle of 25 acres irrigated and 1 cow for every rec-
tangle unirrigated to the satisfaction of the Department.
Owing to the difficulty in obtaining Montgomery cows
of sufficient merit in the open market, the standard for first
entry insisted on is a minimum 2 thousand lbs. lactation. The
milk yield of the cows is carefully recorded and pedigree herd
registers are being maintained under the supervision of milk
recorders of the Co-operative Department. On the data sup-
plied, castings take place.
The progrsse hitherto made in grading up is definitely
good in some chaks and poor in others depending upon the
type of peasant grantee composing the different chaks. In
schemes of this kind in future, a period of trial should be
fixed, in order to determine the suitability or otherwise of the
individual grantees.
Dairying at Grantee
Farms.
26. There are now a considerable number of good
milkers amongst the Grantee herds,
particularly in the case of the Montgo-
mery herds. Of the Jahangirabad
and Allahdad Khan Farms, many of their cows are yielding
over 4,000 pounds 6f milk in a lactation. Cows giving less
than 3,000 pounds on these two farms are being steadily elimi-
nated.
The following details are given of cows yielding over 6
thousand pounds in a lactation on the two farms :—
Number of cows.
Number of
days.
Total milk
yield.
Number
of lacta-
tion.
Jehangirabad Farm.
103 J 3/3
..
178 J 4/3 ..
32 J 1/4
..
182 (P)
..
74 J 2/3
..
154 J 4/3
..
110 J 3/3 ..
104 J
3/3
..
111J 4/2 ..
300
300
300
300
300
300
300
300
300
6,453 lbs.
6,101 „
6,377 „
7,679 „
6,711 „
6,461 „
6,751 „
7,181 „
6,185 „
3rd.
2nd.
2nd.
6th.
3rd.
2nd.
3rd.
3rd.
3rd.
Allah Dad Farm.
40 A
4/1..
252
6.117 lbs. 4th.
12
3.—CATTLE BREEDING IN SPECIAL TRACTS.
(a) Hariana Tract.
27. The following statement shows the allotments made
and the expenditure incurred by the district boards of Hissar,
Rohtak and Gurgaon towards the Hariana Cattle Improve-
ment Scheme :—
District.
Hissar .. ..
Rohtak .. ..
Gurgaon .. ..
Cash prizes .. ..
Govern.
ment
grant.
Rs.
5,000
10,000
7,500
800
District
Board con-
tribution.
Rs.
3,000
4,500 (a)
10,000
7,000
800
Total.
Rs.
12,500
20,000
14,500
1,600
Expendi-
ture.
Rs.
12,986 (b)
16,650
7,825 (c)
1,600
(a) A sum of Rs. 4,500 represents the amount due from the District Board on
account of last year's allotment in accordance with certain conditions imposed by Gov-
ernment.
(b) The excess is due to the inclusion of Rs. 436 spent in transit charges.
(c) Includes Rs. 325 incurred in transit charges.
Because of fodder famine in certain parts of the district
the Hissar District Board sanctioned the grant, out of the
Hariana Scheme funds, of a monthly subsidy of Rs. 5 each for
19 stud bulls located in these famine-stricken areas during a
period of two months before the monsoon. The number of
bulls supplied and the total number of approved bulls now
working in the 3 districts of the Hariana Scheme are as
follows:—
Name of District.
Hissar
..
..
..
Rohtak
.. .. ..
Gurgaon
.. .. ..
Total ..
Number of approv-
ed bulls distribut-
ed during the
year.
116
114
30
260
Total number of
bulls working in
the district.
281
536
602
1,419
13
Seven one-day village cattle shows were held in selected
parts of the Rohtak district during the year and a sum of
Rs. 1,600 was awarded in cash prizes to owners of selected
cows, bulls and young stock.
These shows are now being steadily organised in this
district during the past 4 years in order to encourage and sti-
mulate interest amongst local breeders.
The Rohtak District Board is quite enthusiastic over this
system of propaganda. I can conceive of no better method
of rousing interest amongst the local zamindars or carrying
on other Departmental propaganda than these small village
shows. It is unfortunate that owing to financial stringency,
it was impossible to hold similar shows in the Hissar and
Gurgaon districts. I have consistently advocated that it is
money well spent by Government in supporting these shows.
(b) Dhanni Tract.
28. The following statement shows the allotments made
and the expenditure incurred by the district boards of Attock,
Rawalpindi, Jhelum. Shahpur and Mianwali districts towards
the Dhanni Cattle Improvement Scheme :—
District.
Attock .. ..
Rawalpindi .. ..
Jhelum .. ..
Mianwali .. ..
Shahpur .. ..
Cash prizes .. ..
Balance on
31st March
1930.
Rs.
469
4,971
635
1,153
2
..
Govern-
ment
grant.
Rs.
5,000
4,500
4,000
6,000
2,000
3,500
District
Board's
contribu-
tion.
Rs.
5,000
4,500
5,119
6,210
2,000
..
Expendi-
ture.
Rs.
9,767
8,834
9,754
12,486
3,834
3,500
A sum of Rs. 500 was awarded at small village shows in
the Dhanni Tract where classes for approved bulls with their
progeny were collected. This system of small awards is
having an excellent effect in stimulating keenness amongst
zamindars for better quality cattle. It is also a very valuable
14
propaganda amongst the people showing the interest taken
by the district boards and the department in the encourage-
ment of their local cattle-breeding industry.
The number of bulls supplied this year as well as the total
number of approved bulls now working in the districts in the
Dhanni Tract are shown in the statement below—it discloses
a reduction of 65 stud bulls at the end of the year :—
District.
Mianwali .. ..
Attock .. ..
Rawalpindi .. ..
Jhelum .. ..
Shahpur .. ..
Total ..
NUMBER OF BULLS
SUPPLIED DURING
THE YEAR.
District
Board
bulls.
..
..
..
..
..
..
Subsidy
bulls.
27
18
21
9
2
77
TOTAL NUMBER OF BULLS
WORKING IN THE
DISTRICT ON 31st
MARCH 1931.
District
Board
bulls.
10
16
18
23
57
124
Subsidy
bulls.
45
14
17
18
7
101
Severe financial stringency and the consequent cut in the
Government grant for the Dhanni Cattle Improvement
Scheme is already showing its results. Heavy reductions have
had to be made in the strength of bulls and cows, which were
being kept on subsidy by owners, who could not otherwise
afford to do so. If there is to be any permanence in the results
of the Department's efforts during the past twelve years in
reviving this very valuable Dhanni breed of cattle, it will be
necessary to guarantee financial support to the industry during
this period of agricultural depression. Now appears to me to
be the time for providing assistance and not for with-
drawing the small subsidy to this valuable industry.
The grant of the small subsidy for cows has enabled many
poor owners to employ bullocks instead of their cows for
ploughing purposes in this backward area.
15
(c) Other Tracts.
(1) Montgomery District Cattle Breeding Scheme.
29. The scheme was started in the area of Kue-ki-Baha-
wal Zail of Dipalpur tahsil last year. Through the gene-
rosity of the proprietor, Jahangirabad Farm, 9 more Mont-
gomery bulls were given, free of cost, and concentrated in
this area. These bulls are very popular in the tract, and
there is a demand for more. The results of the scheme are
quite promising, the more so because the local zemindars are
naturally interested in cattle breeding.
(2) Nili Bar Cattle Breeding Scheme.
30. This scheme has not been started on account of
financial stringency. The land earmarked for the Nili Bar
Farm has, therefore, been given out on temporary leases for
cultivation purposes.
(3) Dajjal Village Cattle Breeding Scheme.
31. This scheme was prepared and discussed at length.
Muzaffargarh district does not offer much scope for productive
expenditure, and it was thought inadvisable to proceed with
the scheme there. In Dera Ghazi Khan district, however, it
is possible to do some good and this possibility is receiving
attention.
(4) Malwa Cattle Breeding Scheme,
32. The scheme for the resuscitation of the Malwa breed
of cattle within Ferozepore and Ludhiana districts has
made good progress during the year. There are now 76 ap-
proved bulls working in this tract, with 3 big centres, namely,
Moga, Jagraon and Raikot. In addition 28 selected locally-
bred Malwa bulls have also been let loose by local zamindars
with the approval of this Department, under sections 56 and
57 of the Punjab District Boards Act. This concentration of
good bulls in a more or less confined area should have a very
appreciable effect on the standard of the local cattle within
a period of a few years. Our local officers report a compara-
tively heavy drainage of good cows out of the tract through
cattle dealers on account of agricultural depression. The
matter is being discussed with the District Boards concerned.
(5) Jalalabad Cattle Breeding Scheme.
33. In Ferozepore district in the vicinity of Jalal-
abad, which is on the border of the Sahiwal tract, the local
cattle possess the same characters as and are closely related
to the Sahiwal breed. In order to improve the cattle of this
16
area, nine Montgomery bulls have been recently located there
at the request of the local inhabitants. There is also a big
demand for Montgomery heifers from this tract, which the
Department is doing its best to meet.
(6) Kangra District Cattle Breeding Scheme.
34. In Kangra district amongst the more enlighten-
ed classes, there is a pressing demand for a better milk
supply because the local hill cattle are such poor milkers.
With a view, therefore, to improving the milk yield of the
locally-bred cattle, 40 bulls of Montgomery breed of small size
were introduced into the district in March 1930 and 2 others
this year through the generosity of the proprietor of the
Jahangirabad Cattle Farm, who supplied them free of cost.
In order to encourage interest in milk production as a local
industry, 29 Montgomery heifers from the Jahangirabad
Farm were also distributed to cattle-breeding societies at
nominal prices, in addition to 17 already working in the dis-
trict. These operations are in the experimental stage and
are being watched with interest by the Department.
Kangra district and other hill areas, where there is
a heavy rainfall and a comparatively slow growth of natural
grasses on the hill sides within reach of the villages, provide
their own peculiar problems in stock improvement. The
pressure on the available cultivated area from the steadily
increasing human population is such that the cattle are de-
pendent entirely on grazing for their subsistence. In their
anxiety to cultivate every available inch of ground, the people
maintain large herds of cattle for their manure. The latter
must, in order to survive, be small enough to be able to draw
a maintenance ration out of the available grazing by fending
for themselves during the months of the year when this is
feasible. Sufficient, therefore, has been said to show that there
is only very limited scope for interference in the local cattle
raising conditions.
(7) Improvement of Cattle and Buffalo breeding
in Lahore district.
35. During the year, 16 more bulls were supplied to the
selected area in Lahore district.
Twenty-five privately-owned bulls belonging to local
zamindars, the progeny of our Hissar District Board bulls,
have also been selected and approved for breeding purposes
in the villages of the tract to supplement the services of
the existing District Board bulls.
17
One hundred buffalo bulls, the property of local zamin-
dars, have also been selected and approved for breeding pur-
poses in the area.
As I noted in last year's report there is a very noticeable
improvement in the quality of the local cattle as the result of
the Department's bull distribution scheme. A visit to the
Kahna Kacha annual cattle fair is instructive, for there one
sees large numbers of the progeny of District Board bulls,
testifying to the prepotency of the Hissar Farm pedigree
bulls.
4.—GENERAL BREEDING WORK IN DISTRICTS.
(a) Equines.
Number of stallions—
Table VIII.
36. At the close of the year there were 64 horse and
pony stallions in the non-selected dis-
tricts of the province. This number is
the same as it was at the close of
last year. The number of donkey stallions was 84 as against
86 last year.
The following additions and castings were made :—
Additions
..
..
..
Castings
..
..
..
Horses.
8
8
Donkeys.
1
3
Dera Ghazi Khan and Gujranwala districts were
declared non-selected districts for the purposes of both
horse and mule-breeding operations, the charge of the latter
being transferred from the Army Remounts to this Depart-
ment without any additions to our staff. By arrangement,
the Army Remount Department has lent four horse stal-
lions to Dera Ghazi Khan district for a period of two
years.
Owing to the diminution in the number of mares kept for
breeding purposes within non-selected districts the strength
of the District Board pony stallions of Hoshiarpur and
Ludhiana districts has been reduced by 1 each and the
sanctioned strength of provincial donkey stallions of
Ludhiana district by 3.
Services of stallions,—
Table VIII.
37. The total number of mares covered by horse and
donkey stallions during the year under
report was 3,113 and 3,593, as com-
pared with 3,041 and 3,377, respectively,
during the previous year.
C