30
produce (907) shows about 25 per cent. of deaths and abortions, the high death-
rate being due to great mortality in young stock in the Deccan, which is res-
ponsible for 80 per cent—a result probably due to last year's scarcity. There
was, however, some improvement in the general average number of foals per
stallion, the number rising from 10.80 to 13.86. The averages for the different
provinces were as follows: 13.05 for the Deccan, 15.59 for Gujarát, 8.19 for
Sind and Cutch, and 25.83 for Beluchistan. The percentage of foals to mares
covered also rose from 40.76 to 42.24.
9. The number of remounts purchased exhibits marked improvement, rising
from 251 to 351. Besides these, 204 remounts were purchased in Sind and
Beluchistan for other provinces, but how far these were the produce of Govern-
ment stallions is not known. Of the remounts purchased for this Presidency, 206
were for Native Cavalry, 98 were for Police, and 47 for the Ahmednagar Re-
mount Rearing Depôt.
The question of utilizing the Superintendent as a
remount Agent for the Bombay Cavalry has been raised during the year (para-
graph 28). Veterinary Captain Morgan's opinion is given in detail, but the
question is rather beside the scope of the report.
10. Castration has made very little progress, the animals operated upon
being 326 and 63 as against 320 and 100 last year in the districts and at the
Remount Rearing Depôt, respectively. The Superintendent does not report the
number of colts castrated by Veterinary Assistants.
11. Donkey stallions numbered 24 against 23, covering 846 pony mares as
against 1,019 in the previous year; and the average of pony mares covered per
stallion fell from 43.32 to 39, the decrease being attributed to sickness among
the stallions. The results of the previous year's coverings, however, showed a
better result in the year under report, the average number of foals per stallion
having risen from 4.8 to 6.38. Mule-breeding is still almost entirely confined
to Sind. The Superintendent hopes to make it more popular in the Deccan by
creating a market for the mules in that province. His detailed proposals will
be separately discussed when passed on to Government.
12. The already high cost of stallions has gone on increasing, the increase
being most noticeable in Gujarát, where the cost rose from Rs. 295 to Rs. 339;
in Beluchistan, it fell from Rs. 506 to Rs. 471. The previous year's cost was
the highest of the preceding 13 years with the exception of 1878-79. The cost
of the year under report is still higher and should have been more fully ex-
plained, the general remark "high prices of food and fodder" not being ap-
parently always justifiable. In Karáchi, for instance, where prices ruled
generally lower than usual except in one or two tálukas, the average cost per
stallion rose by about 15 per cent. In Ahmedabad, where the cost rose by
about 14 per cent., the average price of gram was slightly below that of the
previous year.
13. The total expenditure of the Department rose from Rs. 66,767 in
1891-92 to Rs. 68,268 in the year under report. To the total expenditure,
Provincial Revenues contributed Rs. 43,118, Local Funds, Rs. 14,145, and Im-
perial Revenues, Rs. 11,005 for the cost of stallions in Beluchistan and for
prizes at the Sibi and Quetta shows.
14. Veterinary Captain Morgan's experiments in fodder crops and sheep-
breeding are interesting, but the experience of Lathyrus Sylvestris does not
tally with that gained on the Poona Farm. These experiments, it must be
noted, are carried out at Veterinary Captain Morgan's own expense and evince
the interest which he takes in his work in all its bearings.
15. The Superintendent's suggestion for training syces at the Ahmed-
nagar Depôt is worth consideration.
* This Office No. 3513,
dated 10th December 1892.
16. The undersigned has refrained from commenting on the form of the
report as Mr. Cappel's proposals* in this connection
are already before Government, but he cannot help
observing that the Superintendent's remarks in expla-
nation of his figures are meagre.
E. C. OZANNE,
Survey Commissioner and Director,
Land Records and Agriculture.