52
Average produce per stallion ... ...
Average number of mares "not held" per stallion
Average "unknown results" per stallion ...
Average number of mares covered per stallion
... 7.59
... 14.51
... 6.75
... 28.85
The average produce per stallion fell from 11.95 to 7.58. This remarkable
falling off is explained by the Superintendent as being due (1) to inaccurate
returns, (2) to no Inspectors in Sind and Cutch, and (3) to a large number of
stallions on the register which are worn out and uncertain foal-getters. As
regards inaccurate returns if the figures given in the report are not strictly
correct, then they should be entirely eliminated, as incorrect figures only mislead
and force one to conclusions which may be quite contrary to the true facts. It
would be better to admit at once that trustworthy figures are not available.
The absence of Inspectors in Sind and Cutch does not sufficiently explain the
matter. As regards worn out stallions, it appears that the Superintendent has
taken active steps to remove what appears the chief cause of the poor results by
selling the least serviceable of the stallions. The stallions on the registers are
not fully worked, and at the same time the Superintendent is anxious to buy
Arab sires of a certain class, the inference is that a considerable proportion of
the stallions at stud work is unreliable as foal-getters or unsuitable in other ways
and it is necessary to replace them. The Superintendent's tabulated statement
of produce returns shows, as far as the figures may be reliable, that the thorough-
bred English stallion is on the average the surest stock-getter. The average
comparative produce returns of different breeds of stallions are summarized
below :—
Breed of Stallion.
Thorough-bred English
...
...
Hackney and Norfolk-trotters
Arab horse stallions
Arab pony stallions
...
...
Average
number of
Mares covered
per Stallion.
38.31
35.53
26.45
26.56
Average
number of
known pro-
duce per
Stallion.
10.36
7.13
5.97
8.3
The number of remounts purchased rose from 351 in 1892-93 to 461 this
year. Of those bought 25 per cent. were the known produce of Government
stallions. A greater proportion may possibly have been got by Government sires
because often the covering and produce certificates are lost or torn or become
illegible, and to remedy this as far as possible parchment certificates are to be
adopted. Of the remounts purchased for the Presidency 276 were for Native
Cavalry, 67 for Police, and 37 for the Ahmadnagar Rearing Depôt.
12. Castration has made hardly any progress, the animals operated on
being 108 exclusive of one mule. This is a most important duty and unless
castration is carried on vigorously there is little hope of improving the breed of
horses and ponies in the districts.
13. The number of donkey stallions has remained unchanged. Mule-
breeding is making some progress in Gujarát and in the Deccan. For the first
time in Gujarát 11 pony mares were covered and in the Deccan the number
rose from 28 to 45. In Sind mule-breeding is popular and there the donkey
stallions cover nearly the full complement of mares. The general average for
the Presidency and Sind is 41.99 mares per stallion against 40.69 mares last
year. Of the 24 donkey stallions, 19 were stationed in Sind and Cutch, 4 in
the Deccan and 1 in Gujarát. Only 8 transport mules were bought by the
Commissariat Department during the year. The mule-breeding produce returns
are as disappointing as those for horse-breeding. The known average mule
produce per donkey stallion is only 4.92 as against 6.74 in the previous year.
The produce results from the average number of mares covered by each donkey