54
foaled in March and the remainder during the current year, which of course
will be dealt with in next year's report.
(d) Pony Mares.—Of the 5 received by purchase from Jellalabad, 4 turned out to be
in foal and foaled during the year under review. These foals have been entered
on the farm produce under the sub-head "Horse Stock." Of the remaining three,
one is a barren mare and she has been retained as being very useful for test-
ing new stallions, as she is always in œstrum; all have now been covered by
donkey stallions, but of course results are still unknown.
(e) Donkey Mares.—Six donkey mares were shown on the register on 1st April 1893;
one has since been brought on to the strength by transfer from the head
"Donkey Stock." Only one foaled during the year, four are heavy in foal, one
is doubtful and one empty.
The farm is yet too young to derive any material benefit from the produce of its mares.
The foalings have certainly been very good; viz., out of 8 mares covered 4 have foaled.
During the year most of the pony mares could not be used for mule-breeding as they were
in foal to country-bred pony stallions when purchased.
Casualty roll
of animals.
Table XIX—Casualties.—It is very satisfactory to note that during the year under
report no casualties have occurred amongst the farm animals; hence the table is submitted blank.
Sale of farm
animals.
Table XX shows that 5 horse stallions and one donkey colt were sold for Rs. 3,380 to
various District Boards, etc.
Technical
classes held.
The two technical classes held in August and December 1893, were supervised by the
late Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department in person, assisted by Veterinary-Major
G. J. R. Rayment, Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North-Western Provinces
and Oudh, and the two Veterinary Overseers. I personally took no active part at either classes,
so am unable to make any remarks under this heading.
Primers pub-
lished and dis-
tributed.
No primers were published by me during the year, but 50 copies of the "Gram and Fod-
der Crops of the North-Western Provinces, with Hints on Feeding," by Edmund Burke,
were supplied to Mr. E. B. Francis, who was then Officiating Director of Land Records and
Agriculture, Punjab, for distribution in the Province.
Farm crops.
Agricultural Operations.—The following is a detailed list of crops grown:—
(a) Lucerne.—This is one of the principal fodder crops cultivated. 10 acres were under
cultivation and the annual yield was 1,486 maunds 39 seers.
(b) Guinea-grass.—The outturn of guinea-grass has not been quite so successful. The
one acre of this grass could not be sufficiently irrigated as the water-supply from
the well was insufficient, owing to the Remount Department also using the same
well for filling their water-troughs in No. 2 Stable, west. To obviate this diffi-
culty I propose to transfer the guinea-grass to No. 1 Well, where, I am sure,
the outturn will be much larger. This grass I consider very valuable as green
fodder for horse stock, as it flourishes during the hot months when other green
crops are scarce, and also during the rains when lucerne fails.
(c) Maize.—This was also a good crop: it ripens early enough to admit of rabi crop
being obtained off the same land. Oats were also grown in the same field
after the maize crop was harvested. The yield, however, of this crop was not
satisfactory owing to unfavorable weather.
(d) Oats.—The yield of oats in straw was certainly good, but the seed was hardly of
good quality; the grain being thin and small, the reason being that when the
stalks were running into seed, the hot winds prevailed with great severity and,
in spite of irrigation, dried the seeds before they had matured.
(e) "Rheana Luxurians"—Colonel
Davidson kindly sent us some seed of the black
variety from Quetta, and Mr. Mollison of the white sort from Poona. Both
were tried and found to grow well. About 20 seers of seed have been saved
and will again be sown next year. The leaves of this grass are very large and
succulent; the stalks are also tender, and horses seem to like it and eat it
readily.
(f) Carrots.—Acclimatized Belgian seed was sown this year, and the yield was very
good. I cannot speak too highly of this variety as it is sweeter and does not run
to seed or get so hard so soon as the indigenous kind; consequently one can feed
horses on carrots up to the end of March or even April, whereas country carrots
run to seed in February.
(g) Dub grass.—A small quantity of this grass has been cultivated, but for want
of irrigation I have not been able to carry it on very successfully; however,
its growth has been encouraged under natural conditions, and it is hoped that in
time the whole of the paddocks Nos. 10 and 1 will be covered with dub.
(h) Hay.—The outturn of hay was very good and saved well and in proper time, the
weather being favorable.
The operations of the farm as a whole have been generally satisfactory, but in order to
render it not only a self-supporting, but unquestionably a financial success, a few radical
alterations are essential: for instance, the area of the farm in proportion to animals employ-
ed is very small, and in order to increase the revenue by successful breeding and cultivation
the area should be increased or the farm animals reduced in number.