4
Some increase was naturally to be looked for owing to the very high
prices of grain and the scarcity of fodder. The above statistics have been taken
from tables E. and K., the figures of which do not appear to be reliable. For
instance, the average keep of a horse has increased since 1894-95, which may be
assumed to have been a year of normal prices, by 33.5 per cent., or a little over
one-third. The average keep of a pony, however, has gone up by no less than
60.3 per cent., or nearly two-thirds, and the keep of a donkey by 46 per cent.,
or nearly one-half. The differences also between the average cost in the two
circles are not easily explained. In the North Punjab the figures showing the
average cost of maintaining a horse and pony have risen since last year by 1.7
and 5.5 per cent., respectively, while the keep of a donkey has fallen by 7.3 per
cent. The similar variations in the South Punjab are 3.5, 3.5 and 3.4 per cent.
Veterinary-Captain Joslen casts doubt on the figures from Ferozepore, Kángra,
Rohtak and Dera Gházi Khán, but states there was no time to refer to these
districts for further report. The financial question is a most important one
and certainly requires elucidation.
During the year District Boards are returned as having spent Rs. 27,721
on the feed and keep of stallions of all kinds as against Rs. 27,009 last year,
an increase of 2.6 per cent.
Mares branded or un-
branded for district breed-
ing.
7. The total number of mares suitable for horse
and pony breeding at the close of the year is returned
as:—
Detail.
North Punjab.... .... ... ... ....
South Punjab
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total
...
...
Total 1896-97...
...
Decrease per cent ...
Horse.
2,080
5,480
7,560
8,492
10.92
Pony.
10,053
10,134
20,187
21,496
6.0
Total.
12,133
15,614
27,747
29,988
7.4
These figures are given for what they are worth ; but while there is an
improvement every year in the system of enumeration, the variety of the
methods employed in collecting statistics and the lack of supervision make it
impossible for much reliance to be placed upon them. One deduction may,
however, safely be made, and that is that for some time to come there will be a
great many more mares in the country than the stallions can serve.
III.—MULE BREEDING.
Donkey stallions belong-
ing to District Boards.
8. Seven donkey stallions were present on 1st April 1897. The one in
Gujrát was sold to the Civil Veterinary Department, and one
belonging to the Mamdot Estate was removed from the
register. Two fresh stallions were purchased by the Gurgáon District Board,
so that at the close of the year there were present 6 donkey stallions in the
South Punjab and 1 in the North Punjáb Circle. During the year 7 stallions
were employed at the stud as compared with the same number last year. These
covered only 267 mares as against 429 last year. The result of the previous
year's covering was 59 foals, a decrease on last year's total of 27. The average
of foals per 100 mares covered was only 13.72 and of 8.42 per donkey stallion.
The falling off noticed last year, when the similar figures were 17.22 and 14.33,
has thus continued. The decrease in the number of mares covered by these
donkey stallions is due to the large number of animals which were swept up by
the Commissariat Department for use as army transport in the frontier cam-