28
261. Donkey Colts.—The donkey colts are a good lot, all but two being
likely to grow into good Jacks. Two were sold to the Army Remount Depart-
ment and six to District Boards.
262. Donkey Fillies.—With the exception of three, these are a good lot.
263. Sheep.—The crossing of Bikanir sheep with the Dumba ram has
been discontinued. The cross bred sheep produce good mutton and the yield
of wool is somewhat improved. We are now going on two distinct lines:—
(1) Breeding pure Merinos.
(2) Cross breeding Merino ram and Bikanir ewe.
264. The object of the pure Merino herd is to endeavour to produce pure
bred rams in the country instead of importing them. The operations
are of too recent origin to allow of any definite conclusions being
arrived at. Last year we had only 333 ewes, the crop of lambs from which
was 251,—132 males and 119 females. The mortality in this small herd was
125. We obtained 19 ewes and three rams from Australia during the year,
too late for anything to be done. They were a good lot. The total strength
of the herd is now 596.
265. Three flocks of selected ewes are running with the Merino rams
and the results are fairly satisfactory, but the mortality continued to be some-
what heavy (about 16 per cent.). The housing and care of sheep, however.
has until recently left much to be desired and I am glad to say that very
great improvement has been made in this direction during the year. New
and excellent pens have been provided and the animals are now kept in
comfortable and sanitary pens.
266. Cultivation.—Good work has been done in the improvement of the
cultivation and the results are satisfactory, despite the various difficulties
which have to be contended with. I think that now that the store of reserve
fodder is rapidly approaching a lac of maunds, it will be possible to abandon
or reduce areas lying far afield and to confine our cultivation to land most
conveniently situated and to substitute to a greater extent intensive for ex-
tensive cultivation. This will be necessary as the labour difficulty seems likely
to increase and become more serious year by year. With this object in view,
Lieutenant-Colonel Farmer has devoted much time and attention to the
improvement of the land near at hand. Water-courses have been remodelled,
level of fields lowered, boundaries straightened, roads made and trees planted
in the Mundianwala, Chowni, Stable and Sully blocks. The Kherwan block
will be reduced. The difficulties connected with labour are very great. The
demand exceeds the supply and it is not an easy matter to get men at all
when most required, as the wages offered are not very high. I found that
many of our ploughmen came as much as five or more miles to work and as a
consequence we never got anything like a fair day's work done. It has been
decided to put up a block of ten houses for them on the estate, as an experi-
ment, to try to induce them to remain as permanent labourers. If this proves
a success, others will be put up later on.
267. Machinery and rolling-stock is kept in excellent order. A new
threshing machine, straw bruiser and two elevators have been received from
England.
268. Buildings, roads, etc.—The buildings, etc., generally have, so far as
possible, been kept in good order. New sheep pens have been made, pucca
roads constructed at Chowni and another to the Stable Farm, and a new
road made from the Home Farm to the Donkey paddocks. The new post-
mortem house is almost complete. The Home Farm has been very greatly
improved by the drainage operations which have been carried out. The low-
lying places have been raised and drains made to carry off the rain water to
Chowpalia tank. Trees have also been planted to give some shade in the
Home Farm as well as in the Sully Farm.
269. Table XVIII shows the expenditure on the Farm to have been
R1,13,639 and the receipts R1,02,027, while the valuation of the stock, etc., is
R3,65,690 against an expenditure of R1,08,688, receipts R93,907 and valua-
tion of stock R3,41,655 last year. The expenditure therefore increased by
nearly R5,000 due to purchase of stock, sheep, etc., whilst the receipts rose over