55
when we consider that 162 were obtained last year; this may be partly accounted
for by the small number of Remount Officers present. On this point Major
Angelo, who constantly attends this Fair, states that the attendance of purchasing
Officers was the smallest he had ever seen at this Fair.
287. In addition to the above, 104 horses and 30 mules were purchased by
various Native States, but whether for Imperial Service Cavalry or for their own
Cavalry and Transport is not stated.
288. The Army Remount Department purchased 5 head of stock.
289. Major Angelo brings to notice the preponderance of long pasterns at
this Fair. I cannot account for this defect, and it was not noticed by the Superin-
tendent, Civil Veterinary Department.
He is also of opinion that more should be done to ensure the Certificates
of Produce being forthcoming. On this point he states:—
It strikes me that great strides have been made in horse-breeding but more could be done to ensure the
pedigree of stock being obtained.
290. On this point the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, very
justly remarks:—
As to more being done to ensure the pedigree of stock being obtained, I do not know that more can be done,
except by purchasing Officers themselves, who should insist as far as possible in having a Produce Certificate with
the horse they buy, as dealers never keep them except in a few cases where the sire is a well known and popular horse.
Most of the horses purchased at Amritsar by purchasing Officers are obtained through dealers or dalals, who know
that English Officers are all prejudiced against Norfolk Trotter stallions so they never show any Produce Certificates,
but say that all their horses (except such as are too evidently by a Norfolk Trotter or Arab stallions to be taken as
by any other class of sire) are by Thoroughbred English stallions, besides which in horse dealings between natives
the Produce Certificate is often charged for extra.
291. I do not see that this Department can possibly do more than to issue
Produce Certificates to all stock got by Government sires; whilst purchasing is done
from the dealers, these will not be obtainable.
292. The above refers to the Fair alone, but in connection with it is held a
Show for mares belonging to the district and their stock; this was started last year
at the express wish of the District Authorities, but I fear it has not proved a success.
On this point, the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, states:—
The Show was a very poor one as will be seen by a reference to the 'Statement showing the competition and
prizes awarded.' One hundred and twelve competed for prizes as against 143 in 1897. The only class worth remarking
on was Class IV 'British and Native Cavalry Remounts', which were on the whole very good, though only 15 competed
out of many more purchased, the reason of this being that the others were sent away before the day fixed for judging.
293. By a reference to the statement abovementioned, I find that with the
exception of the prize winners, the animals which competed were a poor lot; it is
therefore a question whether the Imperial grant to this Show should be continued,
and on this point I purpose consulting the Director of Land Records and Agriculture.
Bannu
Horse Show.
294. Last year I remarked that the success obtained at this Show was very
fluctuating, and I then showed that as far back as 1881, when Superintendent,
Horse Breeding Operations, Punjab, I formed a very high opinion of the horse-
breeding capabilities of this district; it, however, declined greatly. Last year
there was a revival, and although the disturbed state of the frontier was considered
likely to interfere with the success of this Show on this occasion, still I am pleased
to find that the improvement noticeable last year was maintained, 1,156 animals
were present against 1,120 last year, and 704 competed for prizes against 741.
295. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, reports as follows:—
I am glad to say the result was most encouraging. The Waziris are beginning to take much more interest in
horse-breeding from Government stallions and brought in a large number of animals to the Show.
296. Horse-breeding in this district is carried on in rather a haphazard
kind of way and, as described by the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
a very broad view had to be taken as to the qualifications of the competitors in some
classes, for, with the exception of Malik Yar Mohamed Khan of Kalabagh, none of
the competitors had either Covering or Produce Certificates; it was therefore al-
most impossible to decide whether the produce is by Government sires or not. This
was brought to my notice last year when I addressed the Punjab Government on
the subject pointing out that the addition of the words 'or other stallions' had
been made without sanction to the rule requiring the produce to be by Government
sires. I asked that these words should be expunged, and that the money awarded
from Imperial funds should be given solely to mares covered by Government stal-
lions and their produce, and that District money might be kept for unbranded
mares and their offspring. I pointed out that my object was to overcome the pre-
ference shown by the natives of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan for country stallions