24
"Out of the total of 183 certificated mares before mentioned:—
"30 were branded.
"17 were rejected.
" 1 died.
"Leaving a balance of 135 present on the 31st March 1896. Of this number, 83 were covered."
106. Veterinary-Lieutenant Loughlin, Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, North-Western Provinces and Oudh, states:—
"Only four certificates were granted during the year by District Officers giving permission to have mares
covered free by Imperial stallions. Two of these were granted in Bulandshahr district, and one each in Bareilly
and Saharanpore districts. I am still of opinion that the granting of these certificates in these Provinces is
unnecessary; as I stated last year, I visit all the stands and attend all the Fairs in the Provinces every year, any
man that has a mare fit to brand can bring her for my inspection; it is only the rejected mares that are brought
to the district officials for certificates, besides, district officials are no judges, as a rule, as to a mare's fitness
or otherwise to be covered by an Imperial stallion; for instance, in one of the certificates granted this year,
(and signed by a Joint Magistrate) the description of the mare is as follows.—Brown, 5 years, 14 hands.
Marks—Three white splashes to right of centre forehead, slight saddle mark, big spavin on off hind.
"This mare was granted a certificate last year, and was afterwards brought for branding at my inspection,
but I rejected her on account of the spavin; but now she has been allowed to be covered again, thus in all pro-
bability producing two unsound foals."
107. It will be seen that the opinion of the three Superintendents, who are
in charge of the most important horse breeding centres, is totally against a con-
tinuation of the system of granting certificates by District Officers. It will be
seen that of—
133
183
316
certificates granted in North Punjab,
„
„
„
South
„
only 142 mares were covered. This entirely defeats the object for which they
were granted, which was to enable the owners of mares to have them covered
until the Superintendent could inspect them.
108. As, however, the amount of harm done is but trifling, and as the
Director of Land Records and Agriculture is of opinion that the system induces
District Officers to take an interest in horse breeding, I consider that it will
be advisable to allow it to continue for 1896-97, but should the terms under
which these certificates are granted, be evaded in future, it will be necessary
to recommend that the system be abolished.
Number
of
mares
covered
by Government
horse stallions.
109. The number of mares covered by Government horse stallions during
the past three years has been as follows:—
North-Western Provinces and Oudh ...
North Punjab ... ... ...
South Punjab ... ... ...
Derajat ... ... ...
Rajputana ... ... ...
Baluchistan ... ... ...
Central India ... ... ...
Deccan ... ... ...
Guzerat ... ... ...
Sind and Cutch ... ... ...
1893-94.
2,839
2,781
1,810
973
35
1,218
199
574
139
610
11,178
1894-95.
3,041
2,953
2,249
1,260
24
1,893
146
628
150
498
12,842
1895-96.
3,034
3,862
3,705
...
54
2,253
118
640
182
457
14,305
110. The total increase of mares covered amounting as it does, to 1,463 must
be looked upon as satisfactory. The North-Western Provinces has maintained
its position, and beyond this I doubt that we shall ever extend. The Punjab, in-
cluding Derajat, which during the year under review has been divided between
North and South Punjab, shows an increase of 1,105, which is mainly due to
the strenuous efforts of the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, and
to the hearty co-operation of the District Officers. The increase of 360 in