20
Thus hospitals in the tahsil towns are a very valuable means of spreading
knowlege amongst the people.
159. Table VI shows the receipts and expenditure on Veterinary hospitals
during the year. In some provinces fees are levied on Income-tax payers,
cultivators' animals being treated free of charge. The fees are very small.
In the Punjab the income from this source has risen from Rs. 7,198 last year
to 12,444 this year. The Veterinary hospital at Simla shows a small profit
to be credtied to Provincial funds after paying the salary of the Veterinary
Assistant and the interest on the capital cost of the buildings.
III.-BREEDING OPERATIONS.
(1).-BOVINES.
160. Every endeavour has been made during the year to draw attention to the
important subject of cattle breeding and in some provinces with a good deal
of success. Serious consideration must be given to this matter if we are to
avoid infinite trouble and inconvenience in the future.
Notwithstanding
the comfort which may be derived from the perusal of the census reports
which generally tell a flattering tale, there can be no doubt whatever that
there has been a serious decline in the breeding industry proper in most
provinces on account of the decrease in grazing available, while on the
other hand cultivation has greatly extended and the demand for plough
bullocks has correspondingly increased. The extension of cultivation tends to
destroy the cattle breeding industry. The growing of crops is generally a far
more profitable occupation than is the breeding of cattle. When profitable
cultivation is possible and grazing non-existent the cultivator does not want
to be bothered with cows for breeding purposes as he finds it difficult
enough to obtain a sufficient amount of fodder to feed his plough cattle. Stall
feeding is far too expensive a business to allow of his breeding nor are the
conditions suitable for the industry. If wealthy enough he will keep a cow
buffalo in preference to a cow for milch purposes because it will give double
the amount of milk from which he can obtain double the yield of ghee. In
highly cultivated tracts therefore it is the general rule to find good bul-
locks but not many cows worth anything for breeding purposes. The ideas
held by some people that much good would be done in such tracts by inducing
the cultivators to set aside cultivated land from which they are now deriving a
good income, as grazing grounds and inducing the people to grow fodder crops
for breeding stock is purely Utopian at the present time and not in any way a
practical suggestion. It is far more likely and indeed occurs far more
frequently for the grazier to become a cultivator than for a cultivator
to become a grazier. There do exist districts in which cultivation has not
so far extended as to entirely destroy all the grazing grounds and in
such places a certain amount of breeding does go on and could be en-
couraged. Our present efforts should be devoted so far as possible to better-
ing the condition of the grazier, to preserving, so far as may be, existing
grazing grounds, assisting the smaller graziers who have partially taken the
place of the older breeders by providing them with really good well bred bulls
for their herds. It will be found that in the highly cultivated tracts the
majority of the cattle are purchased from outside and at present this outside
supply must be fostered and encouraged.
161. Much good may be accomplished by encouraging breeders by the
supply of good bulls in such tracts in cultivated districts as contain grazing.
It is very evident to the most superficial observer that many of our best
breeds of Indian cattle are deteriorating or in some cases absolutely dying
out and that their places are being taken by inferior cattle. It is our
obvious duty to preserve good bulls of such breeds in Government Farms.
What is more necessary than anything as a beginning is to carry out the
instructions contained in the Department of Revenue and Agriculture
Circular No. 30—102-2,dated 21st September 1906, and to have a careful