77
PART I.-IMPERIAL REPORT.
B.—REVENUE SECTION.
IV.—INSTRUCTION FARM.
Remarks on
work done at
the Farms.
480. This Farm has done excellent work during the past year. Not only
does it meet our requirements by supplying the Imperial stallions with the
fodder and green crops which are required, but as will be seen by the Balance
Sheets, it is more than self-supporting. We have now arrived at the exact
amount of work which mares can do without injury, and whilst in foal. In
these Farms we depend almost solely on the ordinary country mare, and the
deeper I go into this question the more am I convinced that the ordinary
zemindar could not make use of his mares for agricultural purposes with any
profit. We can do so owing to the supervision which we are able to exercise,
but it would not be so with the ryot; he would want to obtain the maximum
amount of work from his mare, and the result, as far as foal bearing is concerned,
would be disastrous.
481. During the year under review, the Government of India have
sanctioned the sale of the pony and donkey mares attached to the two Farms,
and the gradual increase of big mares. I regretted to have to make the
recommendation that the donkey mares should be got rid of as I had hoped to
be able to breed good Jacks, but after 3 years of repeated failures, I deemed it
advisable to make the recommendation. The grounds on which I based
it were:—
(a).—That the whole of the mares would then be available for plough, and
would at the same time be able to do the work now done by the
pony and donkey mares.
(b).—That the stock got by them would be more valuable and, therefore,
would prove an additional source of income to the Farms. We are
always able to get Rs. 225 for their stock at eighteen months of age;
whereas, especially as of late the Remount Department only
purchase mule stock at four years of age, it does not pay us to keep
them as long, as we have not the land to run them on, and there is
no other market for mules of the Ordnance stamp.
(c).—That it is found that donkey-breeding is not a success at Babugarh;
the young stock, although promising well, at an early age do not
develop in bone, and very few prove to be fit for stallions even for
sale to District Boards.
482. The argument contained in (b) has since been upset as Government
have now decided to purchase mules at a younger age, still the argument holds
good inasmuch as the pony mares were unable to do the heavier Farm work.
Mule-breeding will not be abolished, as 9 of the big mares that were
previously on the establishment, have been relegated for this purpose.
483. The strength will now stand at 30 mares for the two Farms, of
which 25 are already on the strength, 8 having been purchased during the
year. The remainder will, I hope, be obtained this year; this will make 21 for
horse and 9 for mule-breeding.
484. The advantage of this system will also be that it will enable this
Department to carry out experiments as to the value of the different crosses; for
example, a mare with three strains of Norfolk Trotter blood and fit for nothing
but heavy cart work, is to be crossed with a high caste Arab. Again, a well
bred mare deficient in bone is to be crossed with a Thoroughbred Australian
measuring 8¼" below the knee. Two mares with a strain of Australian blood
are to be crossed with Thoroughbred Australians. The results of these various
crosses will be of great interest.
485. The results obtained during the year at both Farms must be
considered satisfactory.