4

Subordinate Veterinary
establishments.

9. I have arranged that the subordinate District Veterinary estab-
lishments should be placed at the disposal of the
Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, when these
officers tour through the districts in which they are employed, and this gives
an opportunity of testing the knowledge and capacity of these men, and,
in a minor degree, the work done by them. The necessity for more supervision
over these Veterinary Assistants has long been felt. I have arranged that
they shall all be placed at the disposal of the Assistant Inspector-General, Civil
Veterinary Department, while he is on tour next winter in the Punjab
in their respective districts, and at the conclusion of that tour I purpose to
discuss the whole question with Veterinary Captain Pease, and then to take
such further action as may be necessary.

Gelding.

10. The castration of colts has been making steady progress, and this
will probably have an excellent effect in improving the breed
of horses and ponies. The total number castrated in the
Province was 1,133. Out of 361 cases in the South Punjab only two deaths were
reported. In some cases energy seems to have been unnecessarily expended in
the castration of mules.

Touring.

11. The Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, did much tour-
ing, and worked with energy and success. Veterinary
Lieutenant Cranford wrote his report while still ill and
recovering from typhoid fever.

Cost to Provincial Reve-
nues.

12, The cost of the three Circles to the Provincial
Revenues was as follows:—

These reports all show substantial progress. The increase in the
number of mares covered, which is most satisfactory, is due partly to the
increased number of stallions at work, and partly no doubt to the relinquishment
of the brand. The gelding of colts is making good progress also.

Similar remarks to those made last year are again entered regarding
the inability of the Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, to devote
their attention to anything but horse-breeding, and a certain tendency to look
upon District Veterinary Assistants as primarily subordinates for the fur-
therance of horse-breeding has called forth protests from one or two District
Officers. While fully concurring in the great importance of the horse-breeding-
industry, this tendency on the part of the Superintendents, Civil Veterinary
Department, to look upon themselves as employed solely in the interests of horse-
breeding is one which requires to be discouraged, and I know that the Inspector-
General, Civil Veterinary Department, concurs in this view. The Civil Veteri-
nary Department, it must be borne in mind, is not a mere reproduction of the
old Horse-Breeding Operations. Much more work, however, in the direction of
inspecting Veterinary dispensaries, supervising Veterinary Assistants and in
visiting Cattle Fairs and so on has been done by the Superintendents, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, this year than in the former year. I would also comment on a
slight tendency on the part of the Superintendent, South Punjab, to attribute
failure or comparative want of success to want of co-operation and interest on
the part of district officials, especially Tahsíldárs. While co-operation can be
commanded, interest, I would remark, can in great measure be induced only by
the efforts of the Superintendents themselves.

As a whole the reports must be considered as showing good work and
satisfactory progress.