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coverings by Government stallions granted for unbranded mares. In one district, Rohtak, 153 certificates were
aranted by the Deputy Commissioner against 27 in the remaining districts. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, North Punjab, in his paragraph 33 also expresses an opinion adverse to the grant of these
certificates.
"There can be little doubt that in this particular case the certificates were much too freely granted, and
attention was duly called to the matter, and the Deputy Commissioner discontinued the practice. In so far as
certificates were granted to inferior mares the action of the Deputy Commissioner is to be regretted.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I think it would be a mistake to abolish the certificate system which has so lately been introduced now,
merely because one District Officer who was most anxious to further the cause of horse breeding in a backward
district has made too free use of it. It certainly helps to induce District Officers to take an interest in horse breed-
ing, and without the interest and co-operation of District Officers, the Civil Veterinary Department will accomp-
lish far less than would otherwise be the case.
"In my No. 1835, dated 11th November 1892, paragraph 2, in giving my opinion on the question of the
grant of certificates, of which I was not greatly in favor, I recommended that a limit of 5 per Imperial stallion
should be placed upon the number of certificates to be granted in any district. Had this suggestion been
accepted the difficulties which have occurred in Rohtak would have been avoided. I also recommended then
that these certificates should only be given in case the district had remained unvisited by a Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, for twelve months. Some such restrictions might be imposed now. Veterinary-Captain
Nunn, whose opinion I have asked on this point, considers that certificates should not be granted at all by
non-professional men, and I agree that, now the districts are much more regularly and systematically visited,
the necessity for them is far less than it was."
102. The Government of India, in referring to this system, state:—
"With respect to the grant of covering certificates for unbranded mares, I am to say that the need for such
certificates is probably decreasing with improved arrangements for branding. The Government of India,
however, desire that the present system should have a further trial in the Punjab; but in view of the facts now
reported, I am to suggest that it might be well again to draw the attention of District Officers to the conditions
laid down in this Department's letter No. 2828-18, dated 5th December 1892, for the grant of such certifi-
cates."
103. It has been shown that the Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, North and South Punjab, reported unfavorably of this system during
1893-94, it now remains to be shown how the system has worked during the
past year.
104. Veterinary-Lieutenant Turnbull, Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, North Punjab, states:—
"Out of a total of 62 mares to which certificates were granted during the current year, only 12 were
brought up for my inspection, one died, and one was sold.
"This is most unsatisfactory, for, now including the number not inspected last year, there are 119 mares
possessing certificates which have not been inspected or branded; the owners of these may go on evading the
brand for an indefinite time receiving all the benefits conferred by it and yet the mares may be quite unfit, in
some instances, to be covered by a Government sire; at the same time, perhaps, preventing a good V. I.
mare from being covered at a stand where there is only one stallion, besides inducing men to try for a certificate
instead of having their mares branded.
"The following will show the certificates that have been issued:—
Number present on 1st April 1895
Certificates granted during 1895-96
Branded ... ...
Sold and died ... ...
... 71
... 62
... 12
... 2
—
133
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119 present on 31st March 1896.
Of this number only 59 were covered."
105. Veterinary-Lieutenant Larnder, Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, South Punjab, states:—
"There were 122 certificated mares, not branded, present in the districts on the 1st April 1895, to this
number 61 were added during the year, making in all a total of 183; of these, only 47 were brought up for
my inspection, out of which 30 were branded and 17 rejected.
"The above numbers will clearly show that the conditions under which these certificates are granted are not,
in most cases, complied with; for it is distinctly stated that these certificates are granted to allow the mare to be
covered by a Government stallion, pending the inspection of the animal by an officer of the Civil Veterinary
Department. During the touring season I visited every stand under my charge, therefore giving every
opportunity to zemindars to come in to get their mares branded; and yet, out of the total of 183, only 47
were brought in. This only proves that it is taken advantage of as means of evading the brand, which is
very undesirable. It will be seen that out of the 47 mares inspected by me, that I rejected no less than
17 as being either mis-shapen or very unsound. It is almost incredible that many of these animals could
have been granted certificates to, so ill-shaped were they. Out of these 17, no less than 10 were in
Rohtak district.
"I cannot too strongly condemn this system, as it leads to these mal-formed and unsound mares being
covered by Government stallions which can in no way lead to desirable results.