8
59. During the year there were four Staff Veterinary Assistants and one Reserve
Assistant under the direct supervision of the Superintendent, and they were continually
employed during the year. The duties of these men are to relieve temporarily the
district Veterinary Assistants proceeding on leave and to supplement them when
serious outbreaks of cattle disease occur. They were deputed to the following districts
and subdivisions:—Dacca, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Jalpaiguri, Rang-
pur, Malda, North Sylhet, South Sylhet, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Naga Hills, Mangaldai
and Lakhimpur, and were on tour for 474 days during the year. One Staff Assistant
has been permanently located at Silchar, and his services were wholly employed
during the year in the districts of Cachar and Sylhet. He was on tour for 239 days,
visited 232 villages and tea-gardens, inoculated 2,351 animals, and treated 1,681
animals at headquarters and in the mofussil.
60. During the year one Staff Veterinary Assistant was also deputed to Mokok-
chang and on the Dimapur cart-road for two consecutive months. He inoculated 54
hill animals against rinderpest and treated 1,022 animals, for foot-and-mouth disease.
He visited almost all the villages by the side of the road up to the boundary of
Manipur State.
61. The names of the following Assistants are noted for their good work:—S.
Ghosh, Dacca; H. C. Sen, North Sylhet; M. B. Borrah, Sibsagar; B. C. Chatterjee,
Moriani; J. Ahmed, Golaghat; P. Mukherjee, Shillong. and P. C. Mukherjee, Malda-
PART III.—BREEDING OPERATIONS.
62. Table VIII shows the number of stud bulls as returned by District Officers.
Twenty-five more bulls were reported during the year. Most of them are jail bulls
and bred locally. The two bulls placed in Cachar and Sibsagar are the property of
Hailakandi and Jorhat Local Boards and were purchased from the Dacca Jail at an
average cost of Rs. 80 per head.
63. During the year several applications were received from Local and District
Boards and others requesting to be supplied with breeding bulls. The supply of
suitable animals was very limited, and at the present time it is impossible to obtain
any. These applications also indicate that the local bodies are beginning to take an
interest in this important question of improving the breed of the cattle. This question
is becoming more serious each year. A scheme for the breeding of bulls has been
drawn up and is now under consideration.
64. Table IX shows the work of the provincial Cattle Farm during the year 1910-
11. The total number of animals as reported by the Farm Superintendent was 83
on the 31st March 1911 as against 80 in the previous year. During the year one cow,
one cow-calf, and four young hulls were sold. The total number of births in the herd
was 22 and of deaths 15. Seven new heifers were also purchased during the year.
65. As reported in the previous year, owing to the insufficient supply of grass
at the Upper Shillong Farm a subsidiary grazing farm was opened at Sumer at the
49th mile of the Shillong-Gauhati road, and the whole herd was sent down to the
new place in two batches in December 1910 and January 1911, respectively, after the
cattle were branded and inoculated. It is reported that the cattle suffered from heat
and ticks, and also from the change of fodder, but they did not lose condition as they
had done in former years.
66. The quantity of milk sold during the year was l,2221bs., valued at
Rs. 533-9-0. The quantity for sale is limited.
67. A sheep-breeding experiment which was started in 1909 at the Upper
Shillong Farm was continued during the year. At its close the flock comprised
altogether 54 sheep, viz., one Dumba ram, 35 Khasi ewes, and 18 cross-bred lambs,
of which 11 were males and seven females. The experiment of crossing the local bred
with a Dumba cross-bred ram has been a marked success: the progeny are much
stronger and bigger, and have good coats.
TABLE X-XIII.—(BLANK.)
68. Table XIV shows the number of cattle fairs and shows held during the year.
Fifty-seven fairs and shows are reported during the year against 68 in the previous
year. No fairs or shows are reported from Dacca during the year. There is a consider-
able decrease in the number of bulls, young stock and buffaloes over that of the pre-
vious year. The number of bullocks rose from 1,33,933 to 1,54,466. The amount of
fees realised rose by Rs. 29,502-14-9. There is a large increase in the number of