9
cerned, and only 7 were bought. It was fortunate that this occurred this
year, as, owing to scarcity, District Boards have not been able to extend their
operations in this direction, or to even replace casualties; the requirements
have therefore been very small.
Transit of horses
from England,
and donkeys
from the
Continent.
46. Again this year it affords me great pleasure to be able to report that
24 horses were imported from England, and 42 donkeys from the Continent
without a single casualty having occurred.
47. The system of obtaining the services of the Principal, Bombay Vete-
rinary College, to superintend their landing, has proved of great value, and
no casualties took place. As was adopted last year, all animals are taken to
the College, and kept there until they are despatched.
48. The average cost of landing and keep in Bombay was R18-13-6,
against R23-5-10 last year, and R37-15-5 in 1894-95, which, considering the
price of grain, etc., must be looked upon as very satisfactory.
Proposed
removal of the
Punjab stallion
Depôt to
Rawalpindi.
49. For some years it has been felt that the Punjab has suffered by not
having its stallion depôt in the Province. Not only has it lost the use of its
new stallions during the year for the time they are being acclimatized, but also
has it to a great extent lost the services of its two Superintendents during the
summer months by their being at Babugarh in the North-Western Provinces.
These may be said to be the grounds on which the Local Government has
suffered, but from an Imperial point of view, the cost of transit incurred by
the removal of the thoroughbred English and Australian and other delicate
stallions at the end of the covering season, and of their return to their districts
in October, has long been felt to be a needless expense; again, the climate of
Babugarh is not nearly as good as that of Rawalpindi for horses when being
acclimatized; for these reasons I deemed it advisable to cause enquiries to be
made, in order to decide on a suitable site for the location of the Depôt in the
Punjab. Very careful enquiries were made in the different districts with a
view to the selection of the best site, but, after due consideration, it was
decided that Rawalpindi offered the greatest advantages, and in this I was
confirmed in my opinion by the fact that, previous to 1882, the depôt had
always been located there, and that the stallions had always enjoyed good health.
50. I therefore, in consultation with the Deputy Commissioner and the
Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Punjab, selected a site which would
have been in every way the best that could possibly have been selected, and to
which, being outside of Cantonments, Municipal limits, and Park boundaries,
it was thought no objection could be raised; it, however, unfortunately met
with the disapproval of the Commissioner and the Military Authorities, and the
scheme fell to the ground.
51. It, however, having been found that extra accommodation was
required by the Army Remount Department for the location of the reserve of
one thousand horses lately sanctioned by Government, and as this Department,
by vacating the stables at Babugarh, now occupied by the Punjab Depôt, could
release:—
Stabling for over 150 horses;
About 45 acres of land;
One Overseer's bungalow;
One Officer's bungalow;
Also several other farm buildings;
all of which were required at Babugarh owing to the removal of all the young
stock from Kurnal to Babugarh, which former place is now a Reserve Remount
Depôt, it was decided that 1 should prepare an alternative scheme for the con-
sideration of the Government of India. This, I have done, and although it
does not offer the advantages that the other site did, and although it has the
disadvantage of being more expensive, still it is one that I was able to strongly
recommend for the consideration of the Government of India, and I trust that
the Punjab is now within a measurable distance of having a depôt of its own.
Proposed
transfer of
Horse-breeding
Operations in,
Bombay
to Imperial
control.
52. Since horse-breeding operations have been commenced in the Bombay
Presidency, their control has rested solely with the Local Government. At
first they were placed under the Imperial Veterinary Surgeon, Bombay Presi-
dency, but, in 1887, a separate Superintendent of Horse-breeding Operations
c