2

Government hopes that the experiments, to which Major
Stirling refers, will result in an appreciable reduction in
the cost of this operation. The importance of the
control of cattle disease, to the utmost extent that is
humanly possible, is emphasised by the fact that, even in
a comparatively favourable season like the past one, the
avoidable loss caused to the cultivator by the death and
disablement of his cattle amounts to several lakhs of
rupees, while in periods of virulence the loss is doubled
or even trebled. It is, therefore, gratifying that the
measures adopted by the department for the protection
of cattle from blackquarter have had such marked success
that the mortality recorded from this disease is less than
a 10th of what it was in three out of the past four seasons,
while the decline in the incidence of, and mortality from,
hæmorrhagic septicæmia is another encouraging instance
of the increasing success of preventive vaccination.
A scheme has been drawn up for investigating paraplas
mosis, and, if it is possible to put it into operation, as is
hoped, with the assistance of the Imperial Council
of Agricultural Research, important results are looked
for that will facilitate the campaign against this wide-
spread infection and the economic loss occasioned by it.
It is clear from the report that the old-fashioned prejudice
against inoculation and vaccination of cattle has largely
been overcome and replaced by confidence owing to
propaganda and successful results, and that the protection
of the live-stock, which represents so large a proportion
of the capital of the agricultural community, is now
primarily a question of the provision of funds and staff.

3.    The limitation of touring for a few months
owing to financial stringency and political conditions
account for the marked fall in the number of cases
treated on tour which contrasts with the increase in the
number of cases treated at the dispensaries. It is a
satisfactory feature that, in spite of the difficulties of the
year, the number of useless bulls castrated has been
more than maintained and has advanced nearer to the
figure which is considered to be the minimum required
for the improvement of the breed of cattle.

4.     It is unfortunate that financial conditions bar the
way to the fulfilment of the request of local bodies for the