No. 5251A.

FROM

        S. G. HART, ESQ., I.C.S.,
                DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT Of AGRICULTURE,
                                                                EASTERN BENGAL AND ASSAM,

To

        THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF
                                                                EASTERN BENGAL AND ASSAM.

                                                                        Shillong, the 20th July 1907 -

Sir,

I HAVE the honour to forward the report on the working of the Veterinary
Department during the year ending on the 31st March 1907.

The report has, at my request, been written by Mr. W. Harris, i.c.v.d.
who not having joined his post in this province till recently, has been seriously handi-
capped in reviewing work with which he had no concern. Mr. Harris has taken a
great deal of trouble and has undoubtedly produced a workmanlike report making
the best use of the imperfect material available.

During the year there was, strictly speaking, no Veterinary Department in this
province. One Inspector was paid from Provincial, two Assistants from Khas Mahal,
and nine Assistants from District Board funds.

Since the close of the year there has been a great development and fourteen new
Veterinary Assistants have already been posted to this province.

In addition to the above, the Surma Valley Branch of the Indian Tea Association
have, with the aid of a Government grant of Rs. 15,000 and various contributions from
Local Boards, employed a fully qualified Veterinary Surgeon, Mr. W. H. McCaldron,
M.R.C.V.S., with three Indian Assistants. Their special work is to inoculate cattle in tea
gardens and villages against rinderpest, a scourge which has caused great havoc among
cattle in all parts of the Surma Valley during the last two years. Mr. Mccaldron
joined his post on the 24th February 1907. Monthly reports of the work done by him
are being submitted to Government. Up to the 31st March, Mr. McCaldron and
one Veterinary Assistant inoculated 6,674 cattle, of which only 16 are reported to have
subsequently died, though most of the inoculation was done in villages where rinder-
pest had already established a firm hold. In addition to Mr. McCaldron's staff, three
of the Local Boards of the Surma Valley now have Veterinary Assistants of their
own and that number will probably be increased shortly. There is good reason to
believe that rinderpest is now abating.

In April last, a cattle census was held in Cachar partly in order to ascertain
by how much the number of cultivators' cattle had been reduced during the long con-
tinued outbreak of epidemic disease. The last previous census was held in 1902
and the principal variations brought out are :—

The decrease under all heads except cows, though not as great as was feared, is
very serious in a district like Cachar where cultivation is constantly expanding. To
some extent cattle lost by disease have been replaced by animals purchased from other
districts, and Frontier Trade Returns show that there has been a considerable importa-
tion of cattle (especially buffaloes) from Manipur.

All other points affecting the year's work have been adequately dealt with in
Mr. Harris' report and need not be recapitulated.

                                                                                I have the honour to be,

                                                                                          SIR,

                                                                           Your most obedient Servant,

                                                                                    S. G. HART,

                                                    Director of Agriculture, Eastern Bengal and Assam