14
that in some provinces, the United Provinces for instance, the services of con-
siderably greater number of stallions could be usefully utilised if the question
of their maintenance could be more satisfactorily settled. At present, District
Boards cannot provide the necessary funds and although darindahs and owners
are continually applying for more stallions, they cannot be supplied owing to
there being no funds to keep them. It is also noted that some District Boards
in the Punjab have not the funds necessary to replace stallions which have
died and the operations consequently cease in such places.
Horse,
pony-
and donkey stal-
lions.
83. Table X gives the number of horse, pony and donkey stallions under
Local Bodies in non-selected districts. There were 54 horses, 111 ponies and
70 donkeys present at the end of the year. Of these, 35 horses, 49 ponies and
7 donkeys were in the districts of the United Provinces ; 5 horses, 55 ponies
and 54 donkeys in the Punjab ; 8 horses, 10 ponies and 9 donkeys in the
North-West Fróntier Province ; 6 horses and 12 ponies in Bombay; 15 ponies
in Madras; and 4 ponies in Burma.
84. In Bombay, the number of stallions actually employed at stud work
during the year was 16.33 against 12.94 in the previous year, and the number
of mares covered was 571. No records of results are collected.
85. In the United Provinces, 43 Provincial stallions and 3 others were at
stud work and covered 2,618 mares against 2,179 last year. The District Board
stallion at Sultanpur covered 26 mares and the private stallion 13 mares. The
average number of mares covered per stallion is 56.9 against 56.1 last year.
The results of last year's coverings by Provincial stallions are excellent, the
average being 48.6 per cent. of mares covered. The 5 donkeys actually em-
ployed covered 237 mares, an average of 47.4 against 47.5 last year.
86. Pony breeding is still carried on in Madras. 11 stallions out of 15
were at work, the average coverings being 28 against 27 last year. The
Superintendent reports that the average result of coverings is annually im-
proving.
87. In the Punjab, a standard scale has been fixed at 3 horses, 59 ponies
and 68 donkeys for the province. Last year, a sum of Rs. 36,000—half of
which was contributed by the Government of India—was sanctioned for the
purchase of horses and 20 Arabs were bought and issued to districts. Six
districts purchased stallions to replace casualties. Five horses and 36 ponies
were actually employed. The average number of mares covered is 74.5 per
horse and 66.72 per pony. Mule breeding which is a very important industry
is suffering severely in the Punjab owing to paucity of donkey stallions. The
standard scale laid down is 68 and not only are we short of this by 13 animals,
but many of those at present at work are reported to be old and of doubt-
ful utility. This is a serious state of affairs and the matter of replacing
these animals is now under consideration. During the year, 50 donkey stallions
were employed and covered 3,409 mares or an average of 68.18 per cent., a
slight falling off compared with last year.
88. In the North-West Frontier Province there are now 8 horses, 10
ponies and 9 donkeys. Of these, 4 horses and 4 pony stallions were actually
employed during the year and the average coverings were 67.75 and 53.5
respectively, against 56 and 67.75 last year. The Government of India
contributed Rs. 18,800 towards the purchase of 8 horses and 4 donkeys. The
former were obtained but none of the donkeys could be secured. There were
7 donkeys present at the beginning of the year and 2 were purchased from
Hissar. Donkey stallions are urgently required in this province also and it is
hoped that arrangements may be made during the year to provide them, as
otherwise mule-breeding will suffer severely. The 9 employed during the year
covered 327 mares.
89. Table XI gives the services of horse, pony and donkey stallions under
Local Bodies. From this it is seen that there were ten more horses employed
than last year—45 against 35—and that they covered 2,371 mares against
1,744, or a percentage of 52.7 against 49.8. Eighty-six ponies were at work and
covered 4,321 mares against 87 ponies and 4,518 mares, or a percentage of