2
*Year.
1887-88.....................
1888-89....................
1889-90................
Number.
835
465
706
the report that Mr. Grainger's long-deferred tour in the Belgaum, Dhárwár and
Bijápur Districts was not attended with any
satisfactory results. As compared with the
figures* for the preceding three years, the
number of mares (388) branded during the
year in the Deccan and Southern Marátha
Country shows a considerable falling off, which is attributed partly to the
wretched condition of the animals brought up and partly to the want of co-opera-
tion on the part of some of the Táluka officers in collecting mares. The District
officers should be requested to issue strict instructions to the Táluka officials in
their respective charges to render every possible assistance to the Superintend-
ent during his annual inspection tours. The question of making some change
in the branding system now in force and of generally improving the present
system of Horse-Breeding Operations is under the consideration of Government,
and separate orders on the subject will be passed in due course on receipt of
the report called for from the Director of Land Records and Agriculture in
Government reference No. 6082, dated 5th September 1891.
4. Out of the 104 stallions in charge of the Superintendent the average
number employed at stud work throughout the year is reported to have been
87.1 as against 85.66 in the preceding year. The total number of mares
covered by the horse stallions during the year was 3,270 and the average
number per stallion was 37.5, while the corresponding figures for 1889-90 were
3,143 and 36.34. The results of the coverings of 1889-90 ascertained during
the year under review also show a slight improvement over those recorded in
the preceding year, the total number of foals being 813 (430 colts and 383
fillies) as compared with 769 (419 colts and 350 fillies) in 1889-90.
5. The number of remounts purchased for this Presidency during the year
under review was 435, of which 178 were for the Army, 90 for the Police and
167 for the Ahmednagar Remount Depôt. Of the remounts bought, 168 were
the produce of Government stallions. Mr. Grainger reports that at the com-
mencement of the year there was an outbreak of glanders in the Remount Depôt
at Ahmednagar, which compelled him to remain at that place for nearly a month
and which was successfully checked.
6. In addition to 146 colts gelded at the Ahmednagar Remount Depôt by
the Salutri in charge of the depôt, 127 horses were castrated during- the
year in different parts of this Presidency. This latter number exceeds by 55
the number operated on in 1889-90 and by 45 the average number of the preced-
ing three years.
7. There were 23 donkey stallions on the Superintendent's books on 1st
April 1890. To these 4 new stallions imported from Italy were added during
the year, while 2 were transferred to the Bengal register and one was sold,
thus leaving 24 in charge of the Superintendent at the close of the year. The
total number of mares covered by the donkey stallions was 868 as against 821
in the previous year but the resulting number of mules fell from 73 in 18-89-90
to 61, figures which cannot be regarded as even approximately accurate.
8. The total expenditure was Rs. 68,502-0-7, of which Rs. 13,964-9-7 were
debited to Local Funds and Rs. 8,418 were paid by the Government of India.
The cost to Provincial Revenues of the year's operations was thus Rs. 46,119-7-0.
9. Although the percentage of foals dropped to coverings of the previous
years compares not unfavourably with the results in such other provinces as
Government can compare them with, this percentage cannot be regarded as a
satisfactory return for the cost of the operations, if the figures given are to be
relied on. Either the registers are quite untrustworthy, or improvement in the
percentage of foals dropped to mares covered is possible. If the former is the