13
Number present at close
of year.
35. The balance remaining on the 31st March
1898 is shown in the table below :—
Province.
Deccan ... ...
Gujarát ... ...
Sind ... ... ...
Total ...
Horse
breeding.
743
567
3,139
4,449
Pony-
breeding.
3,168
1,277
600
5,045
Mule-
breeding.
57
6
2,384
2,447
Total.
3,968
l,850
6,123
11,941
Number served by Govern-
ment stallions.
36. The number of branded mares served by Government horse and
pony stallions during the year under report was 1,356.
Besides this 209 mares were served under the certi-
fication system.
Certification system.
37. In continuation of paragraph 34 of my last annual report I give here
full details of the work done under this system, dis-
cussing the advisability or otherwise of its continuance
any longer. Since 1895 Government have empowered 36 officers to certify
mares as being fit to be served by Government stallions. Out of the above
number, two have retired and one is dead. Ten officers were on leave, and
circulars were issued to the remaining 23, requesting them to forward lists of
mares certified by them from 1st November 1896 to 31st March 1898. Replies
have been received from 21 officers, 16 stating that they have not issued any
certificate owing to their being in non-breeding districts, or for want of oppor-
tunity, being employed on plague duty, &c. The remaining five officers, named
below, have forwarded lists of certificates issued by them :—
Name of Officer.
Mr. Pogson, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Khándesh ... ...
Mr. Lambert, District Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad ... ...
Mr. Gibb, Collector of Abmedabad ... ... ... ...
Mr. Kennedy, District Superintendent of Police, Poona ... ... ...
Mr. Ingle, District Superintendent of Police, Bijápur (issued certificates in Kaira
District) ... ... ... ... ... ...
Total ...
Number of
mares certified.
2
20
5
4
6
37
Messrs. Pogson and Kennedy state that the system does not work well, as
the owners do not take sufficient interest in it. Out of the above 37 certificates,
25 were issued in Ahmedabad, 6 in Kaira, 2 in Khándesh and 4 in the Poona
District. These officers have not adhered to the rule whereby certificates were
only to be issued in districts where the number of branded mares has not reached
an average of 50 per stallion. As noticed in last year's annual report (paragraph
34), Mr. Bagnell issued 291 certificates. Out of the above number, 54 were
inspected this season, 53 branded and one rejected. This work was done during
the time I was on leave by Veterinary Lieutenant Walker and I am unable to state
what the mares were like, but gather from their descriptive rolls that the majority
were under 13 hands. Owners in several instances in this district failed to produce
their certificates, and it could not be properly ascertained whether all of them
had been certified or not. The above facts will at once prove that little or no
headway has been made by civil officers during the past two years, and I am of
opinion that the work is such that few take any interest whatever in it. Under
these circumstances I think it would be advisable to abandon the scheme
entirely, as Sind having been removed from my jurisdiction gives me time to
make complete and thorough detailed tours annually throughout the Presidency
B 302—4