58
Produce.
" The foalings this year again have been very unsatisfactory. There being only one horse and
3 donkey colts during the year, whilst 1 horse, 2 pony, and 3 donkey mares aborted.
" The scarcity of foals and number of abortions I attribute to hard work in the pumps and
plough, low condition, infection, and foul pasturage. The double endless chain pump with two
tubes, each 3¼ inches in diameter, is very hard work for two mares, and this is kept going day and
night during the hot weather. Constant hard work like that in this country reduces the vitality of
animals and renders them incapable of breeding.
" It is now proposed to substitute one tube, 2 inches in diameter for one of the 3¼ inch tubes,
and in this way, although the amount of water taken up will be reduced in quantity, the draught
on the animals will be considerably lightened.
" There was a large area under cultivation during the year, and consequently there was a great
deal of ploughing for the mares. Working horses singly in ploughs is hard work, especially when
in charge of careless syces as ploughmen, the draught is uneven. I have watched them ploughing
on several occasions, one time the plough share is skimming along the surface of the soil, and
suddenly the ploughman gives the handles a lift and sends it down to the beam, causing a sudden
strain on the mare, finding it going too deep, he leans on the handle and again it comes to the sur-
face. This unequal strain is very trying for brood mares, and likely to cause them to abort
Particularly if they are excitable, and the majority of country-breds are.
" Owing to the amount of land under cultivation, and the constant work at the pumps, and a
limited supply of grazing, the mares were in very poor condition, and animals in very low condi-
tion do not usually breed.
" The farm mares were confined in a paddock of about 4 acres, which I consider was much
too small for so great a number of animals, and consequently it became foul ; the mares commenced
aborting whilst I was on tour ; on my return, I had them all sent to Mara Singh's bagh, about a
mile distant, with the result that no more abortions occurred.
" This year it is proposed to reduce the amount of cultivation, to make new paddocks for the
mares, and to plough up and take a crop off the old ones.
" In previous years, it was customary to put an enhanced value on the farm produce, on the
ground that it was superior to any to be got in the market, and no doubt it was. This year,
owing to the general financial depression, we have been forced to cut down our expenditure on the
farm and to supply our crops at ordinary market rates to the stallions ; this, of course, decreases
the farm income very much, but still we are able to show a balance of Rs. 3,579-9-5 to our credit
on the year's working of the farm, being an increase of Rs. 1,258-10-4 on the savings of last year."
250. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North Punjab,
states :—
Farm crops.
" The following gives the detail of crops grown.
Lucerne.
" Two acres were grown during the year and yielded 1,692 maunds 25 seers 9 chittacks
The average yield per acre being 846 maunds 12 seers 12½ chittacks, which is low; the cause is
that half an acre of old lucerne was rooted up during July and one acre of new lucerne sown in
October, hence there was no yield from one acre of land, from July to November, otherwise the
crop was a good one.
Guinea grass.
" This grass was abandoned as it could not be properly irrigated from the well No. 1 east,
hence a small outturn is shown this year. During September one-fourth of an acre of this grass
was transplanted near the lucerne garden well in No. 10 paddock, which will yield better re-
sults.
Maize.
" This crop was grown in No. 1 west paddock to get rid of coarse grasses, and after it was
cut, the land was ploughed up and oats grown on it as a second crop. After the first fall of rain,
this land will be ploughed up and grass seeds sown on it for hay.
Oats.
" Four acres were sown on the same land as maize was grown, and one acre sown on land
broken up this year, most of this was fed off green. The yield from the 4 acres was 439 maunds
32 seers oat straw, and 184 maunds 8 seers oat-seed. The seed which was got from Patna dis-
trict, three years ago, has now deteriorated, and I would recommend new seed being obtained from
Ballia district for the next year's sowing.
American Oats.
" Three-fourths of an acre of well manured land was sown in October with half a bushel of
seed, which germinated well, and the crop looked a very promising one, but the stalks grew up
very strong and thick with very few seed heads which contained very poor seed. The crop was
not allowed to get ripe, but was fed off before it got too dry. This yielded 168 maunds 28 seers.
Gram.
" Three and a half acres of gram were sown, which yielded 62 maunds gram and 60 maunds
bhoosa ; the crop was a fair average one and the grain of very good quality.
Rheana Luxu-
rians.
" This crop was grown this year and yielded 141½ maunds. I do not consider this of much
value as a fodder crop, as it is an annual, and is grown during the rains when green food is
abundant; it does not make good hay and consequently must be fed off green.
Carrots.
" The Belgian seed sown this year did not do well; a change of seeds is necessary as it is now 4
years since fresh seed was procured. The country carrot seed was a success ; the only objection to
it being that it runs to seed if not fed off before February, whereas the Belgian roots will remain
good in the soil up to end of April."
Hay.
" One thousand maunds of hay was saved during the season from the depôt lands and Ope-
hara encamping ground. No. 1 east paddock was not reserved for hay and half of No. 1 west
paddock was ploughed up and put under cultivation to get rid of coarse grasses and weeds, hence
the hay saved was less than in the previous year. The Opehara encamping ground did not yield
much hay this year as a small portion only was sown with " Anjan grass " ; this year, we hope
to sow grass seeds on the greater portion of it, if not the whole, and hope to have good results.