2
arranged to purchase 12 Arab stallions locally. A Turkoman stallion was
purchased during the year for the Hyderabad Local Board. His Excellency
the Governor in Council trusts that the excellent example thus set by the
Hyderabad Board will be followed by other local bodies. As remarked by the
Survey Commissioner and Director of Land Records and Agriculture, the pro-
duce results cannot be regarded as satisfactory, only 907 foals, including 229
deaths or abortions, being reported out of a total of 3,087 mares covered by
horses in 1891-92. Of the remainder, 1,240 are reported as "not held,"
and in 940 cases the results were not known. Future reports are, however,
expected to show better results as greater care is being now taken in the matter
of exercise and feed of stallions. Proposals have also been laid before Govern-
ment with a view to improve the present system of produce registration, which
is obviously very defective. As regards mule-breeding also, the produce statistics
are unreliable, as there are no special Inspectors employed in Sind to which
Province the industry is at present mainly confined. The decrease in the
total number (846) of mares covered by donkey stallions in 1892-93 as com-
pared with the number (1,019) in 1891-92 is stated to be due to sickness among
the stallions. The number of coverings in the Deccan, however, rose from 1 to
28. The Superintendent hopes to make mule-breeding popular in this part of
the Presidency by creating a market for mules.
2. The number of branded mares for horse and pony breeding on the
register on 31st March 1892 amounted to 13,125. During the year under report
a careful census of the branded mares was taken in eight districts of the Presi-
dency, and as a result of it 2,199 mares were found to have died, or been sold or
otherwise disposed of. The numbers in Sind, Beluchistan, Khándesh, and Cutch
have not yet been checked owing to paucity of Inspectors. Beluchistan has,
however, now been removed from the jurisdiction of the Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, Bombay, and two more Inspectors have been sanctioned
for the Department by Government Resolution No. 2525, dated 11th April 1893.
Proposals have also been submitted to Government for the institution of a
proper village register of branded mares. These measures will, no doubt,
conduce to more accurate results. In the course of his tour which was well
arranged, the Superintendent branded 929 mares for horse and pony-breeding
and 141 mares for mule-breeding. The total numbers of branded mares on the
register at the end of the year stood at 11,855 for horse and pony-breeding and
988 for mule-breeding.
3. There was a satisfactory increase in the number (351) of country bred
remounts purchased at the several horse-shows during 1892-93 for this Presi-
dency as compared with the figure (251) of 1891-92. Only 57 of the animals
purchased could be ascertained to have been the produce of Government
stallions. The remarks in paragraph 28 of the Superintendent's report as to the
advisability of deputing a purchasing officer from Bombay to attend the horse-
shows held in Sind and in paragraph 58 regarding the Ahmednagar Remount-
rearing Depot should be communicated to the Military Department. The Com-
missariat Department purchased 151 mules for transport purposes during the
year under report. The number of colts, the property of breeders, castrated by
Government salutris was 326 against 320 in the preceding year.
4. The total expenditure of the Department rose from Rs. 66,767 in
1891-92 to Rs. 68,268 in the year under report, of which the Provincial share
amounted to Rs. 43,118 against Rs. 42,844 in the preceding year. Of the
remainder, Rs. 14,145 were contributed by Local Funds and Rs. 11,005 from
Imperial Revenues. The increase of expenditure was mainly on account of
feed and keep of stallions. The average cost under this head per horse stallion
amounted to Rs. 395 and for a donkey stallion to Rs. 291 as compared with
Rs. 386 and Rs. 254 respectively in 1891-92. The attention of the Superin-
tendent should be invited to the remarks on this subject made by the Survey
Commissioner and Director in paragraph 12 of his review.