8
not be purchased at any reasonable price, and the owner expressed his intention
of keeping him as a stallion. The effects of a famine, such as has been experi-
enced in the breeding districts of the Presidency for some years past, do not fully
show themselves until the famine has passed away, and they continue for
some time afterwards. Several years must elapse before the numbers of pre-
famine time can again be bred up to. The total number present was 347 as
compared to 383 last year.
19. Table XIV shows the Government stallions whose produce won prizes
at the Ahmednagar horse show. The following is their order and percentage of
winners:—
Thorough bred English ... ... ...
Norfolk Trotter ... ... ... ...
Australian ... ... ... ...
Arab... ... ... ...
Country bred ... ... ... ...
2.30
2.00
3.00
1.71
6.00
These figures appear very different to last year when the T. B. E. stood
first. A reference to the table will show that the T. B. E. took 7 first prizes
against a total of 5 for all the others, 4 second against 5, and 4 third against 3.
Most of the best mares in the show looked as though they had one or more
strains of English or Arab blood.
VI.—GENERAL.
20. Table XX of the Imperial section and Table XVIII of the Provincial
section of the report together show that the total cost of the Department during
the year amounted to Rs. 47,541 against Rs. 45,466 last year. The increase of
Rs. 2,075 is mainly observed under the head "purchase of stallions." The total
cost has been sub-divided under the following sub-heads:—
1.
2.
3.
Cost of supervision ...
...
...
...
Purchase and keep of stallions ...
...
...
Prizes at horse fairs and shows ...
...
Total ...
Rs.
22,419
23,211
1,911
47,541
Out of this amount Rs. 13,050, being the pay of the Superintendent, were
debited to the Imperial Funds, Rs. 27,455 were paid from Provincial Funds,
and the balance Rs. 7,036 were charged to Local Funds.
PART II.—PROVINCIAL REPORT.
I AND II.—HORSE AND MULE BREEDING.
21. There are neither horse nor donkey stallions belonging to Local
Boards in this Presidency.
III.—CATTLE DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
(1).—Information Collected.
22. Reports of outbreaks of epizootic disease were received from 9 out of
the 18 districts of the Presidency, including Bombay City (see Table XX).
The number of animals attacked by the various infective diseases was 2,488. Of
these 674 or 27.09 per cent. proved fatal as against 190 out of 739 or 25.71 per
cent. last year.
(2).—Outbreaks during the year.
Rinderpest—Reported from four districts only, including the Bombay
City where two cases were reported as having occurred. The total number of
attacks was 172 with 120 deaths.
That two cases of so infective a disease as rinderpest should occur in the
City of Bombay and no more seems incredible. Some error in diagnosis would
appear to have occurred. It also seems extraordinary that only 172 cases of
rinderpest should have been reported throughout the whole Presidency when
one compares it with the number of cases which occur annually in other Pro-
vinces, the Punjab and Bengal for instance. The disease must either have pre-
vailed only to a comparatively slight extent or it is only occasionally reported.