Annual Report

                                                            ON THE

               Civil Veterinary Administration

                                                               IN THE

                                    Punjab

                                                   For the year 1916-17.

   Note on veterinary progress in the Punjab by the Director of
                                          Agriculture.

1.    The report on the Punjab Veterinary College is the first of the three
reports forwarded herewith. As usual, the college could not comply with all
the demands for admission made on it, though 85 new students were admitted,
in place of 70 the year before. Fifty men completed the three years' course.
The Post-Graduate course was attended by only two students. On account of
the war the Veterinary Department all through India are considerably under-
manned, and could not spare men for the course.

I am asking the Principal to now push on the proposal for a Branch
Veterinary Hospital at Aitchisongunj.

Handicapped as he was by shortage of staff, the year's work reflects as
usual much credit on Colonel Pease, the Principal. He received whole-
hearted support in his work by the other professors at the College.

2.    The report of the Chief Superintendent of the Civil Veterinary
Department on the year's work in the province is the second of those sent here-
with.

Handicapped by serious outbreaks of infectious disease among the animals
of the province — due probably to the large rainfall of the year — and by a
marked shortage in staff, the department has worked most loyally and well.
For this great credit is due to Colonel Farmer, who never spares himself, and
whose inspiring example has an excellent effect on his subordinates. The
whole province has recently been notified under the Dourine Act, and every-
thing possible in the circumstances is being done to cope with the malady.
The tact displayed by Colonel Farmer and Mr. Quirke in dealing with the
disease in Dera Ghazi Khan deserves special mention. The progress made in
cattle-breeding in the Province in the last 11 years has been recently dealt
with by me in a note which has been forwarded to Government.

Colonel Farmer's suggestion that a dog tax should be imposed, with the
object of lessening outbreaks of rabies is, I fear, not feasible.

3.    The Hissar Cattle Farm, under Mr. Branford, had a much better
year than in 1915-16, when owing to failure of rains, very large quantities of
fodder had to be purchased, and were able to store 70,000 maunds of fodder in
addition to that consumed. If the cultivator which I have asked Government
to sanction is obtained, it should cause very much more grass to grow in the Bir
in years of good rainfall.

The number of bulls — 201 — issued from the farm to district boards
in the province was the highest figure ever yet attained.

The scheme for breeding Arab stallions at the farm has been sub-
mitted to Government.

Mr. Branford and his staff deserve, as they always do, the greatest
credit for their work during the year.

                                                                           C. A. H. TOWNSEND,
The 11th July 1917.                   Director of Agriculture and Industries, Punjab.