PART I.—IMPERIAL REPORT.
B.—REVENUE SECTION.
IV.—INSTRUCTION FARM.
Balance sheet
of
cultivation
operations.
337. Tables XVII and XVII (a), vide pages lii and liv, are balance
sheets showing expenditure incurred in cultivation. The former is that of
North-Western Provinces Depôt, which shows a profit of Rs. 2,320-15-1. This
profit is entirely derived from sale of produce, which, as will be seen, amounted
to Rs. 9,269-13-5; the estimated cost for cultivation of same amounting to Rs.
6,948-14-4, thus showing an estimated profit of Rs. 2,320-15-1 as above noted.
338. This profit is, however, entirely due to the value put on the produce,
which should not be called market-rates. The market-rates, prevailing in the
Meerut District were far below this, and if the produce were sold at the latter
rates, the value of the same would be reduced between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 4,000.
339. Table XVII (a) is the balance sheet of the North Punjab Farm,
showing a saving of Rs. 530-1-5. The same remarks apply as to the cultiva-
tion in the North-Western Provinces Farm.
340. I would not have alluded to this had the farms sold their produce
in the outside market, but as furnishing fodder, etc., for the Imperial stallions,
I feel compelled to do so; as the sale of grain-fodder, etc., at these high rates
raises the cost of feed and keep at the depôt enormously. This has already
been alluded to, and it has been shown that the cost per stallion was, Rs. 73-3-5
for horse and Rs. 59-7-1 for donkey higher in the North-Western Provinces
depôt than the average in the various districts, of that Province. I therefore
shall endeavour, by working the farm and depôt more in unison with one
another, to reduce the cost of cultivation, and in this way I trust that the
farm produce will be sold to the Imperial stallions at rates more in accordance
with those ruling in the open market.
Return
of
farm animals.
341. Table XVIII, page lvi, shows the number of farm animals present
on 1st April 1893 and remaining on 31st March 1894. The difference is but
slight except in horse stallions, the number having been reduced by thirteen.
Casualties.
342. Table XIX, page lvii, shows the number of casualties amongst the
farm animals, by which it will be seen that three died and two were destroyed.
Sales.
343. Table XX, page lviii, shows the number of farm animals sold during
the year. This will account for the great reduction in the number of horse stallions.
Technical
classes held and
primers
pub-
lished and dis-
tributed.
344. Not having as yet had an opportunity of visiting the Instruction
Farms, I deem it advisable to give the reports of the Superintendents, North-
Western Provinces and Oudh and North Punjab, in extenso.
345. The Superintendent, North-Western Provinces and Oudh, reports as
follows:—
Table XVII gives the balance sheet of cultivation operations carried on at the North-
western Provinces depôt during the year under report. The crops raised during the year
were (1) dub, (2) lucerne, (3) guinea-grass, (4) impey, (5) buffalo grass, (6) carrots, (7)
oats, (8) linseed, (9) Indian corn, (10) barley, (11) gram, (12) clover, (13) sugarcane.
Dub grass.
The area under grass during the year produced satisfactory results. Nearly the
whole of it grows dub. So that 95 per cent. of the outturn, both green and dry, is
composed of that excellent fodder. Three thousand six hundred and sixty-one maunds were
fed off green, while 2,592 were made into excellent hay. As such hay is unobtainable
in the market, we can get no nirric for it. Hence we are obliged to calculate its value
as if it were ordinary dry grass. Considering it is carefully cared and cut when in excellent
condition, while the ordinary dry grass is allowed to stand till it has seeded, becomes
fibrous, and lost all its nutritious properties, it is unfair to the farm to put the two at the
same valuation. Add to this that a large proportion of it is composed of dub, kans and
other rubbish, and from being frequently put up wet, or allowed to become damp from care-
less stacking, it is often mouldy and quite unfit for consumption. Our oaten straw and a
certain amount of hay we had from the year before have rendered us independent of the Remount
Department for some months past, from whom tili now we have obtained our dry grass.
With the stock we have in hand, we have more than sufficient to feed every animal—Imperial