4
Mares branded or un-
branded for District horse-
breeding (Table F).
5. The total number of mares suitable for horse
and pony breeding at the close of the year is returned as—
South Punjab...
...
...
...
...
...
North
„...
...
...
...
...
...
Total
...
...
1805-96
...
...
Horse.
5,873
2,619
8,492
10,404
Pony.
10,558
10,938
21,496
23,790
Total.
16,431
13,557
29,988
34,194
The decrease, in districts from which returns have been received, is
attributed to the great number of mares that were sold or died owing to the
scarcity. The figures are, however, only the widest approximations. Some
Deputy Commissioners show in their returns the total number of mares in the
districts, others only those they consider fit to breed from, while from Kángra,
Dera Gházi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Hazára, Jhelum, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan
either no returns were furnished or a blank statement was submitted as there
was no means of obtaining any reliable information. It should not, however, be
impossible to obtain a fairly correct estimate of the number of mares suitable
for horse and pony breeding in each district. There are now District Board
Veterinary Assistants in every district but Simla and Kohát—some districts
have one for every tahsíl—and they should be able in the course of their tours
to make a register of all suitable mares.
The matter is not, however, of much importance at the present stage, for
as Veterinary-Lieutenant Turnbull remarks, " until the pony-breeding movement
is on a much larger scale, it appears sufficient for the purpose to know that there
are a great many more mares than the stallion power at our disposal can cover."
II.—MULE-BREEDING.
Donkey stallions belong-
ing to District Boards
(Table J).
6. One donkey stallion was purchased during the year by the Gujrát
District Board, and the total number at the stud was 7
against 6 in the previous year. These covered 429 mares
against 498 in the previous year. The result of the pre-
vious year's coverings was 86 foals against 63 last year, giving an average
of only 17.22 foals per 100 mares covered and of 14.33 per donkey stallion.
This is a falling-off in last year's figures which were 27.04 and 15.75 respectively.
These results are not very encouraging, and both Superintendents repeat their
remarks in last year's reports to the effect that District Boards had better for the
present leave this branch alone. Superintendent, North Punjab, writes (para-
graph 20)—
" There is no demand for donkey stallions—the property of District Boards. I am
of opinion that mule and donkey-breeding is better left in the hands of the Imperial
Government as every effort is made to supply donkey stallions where required, and so
long as donkeys are supplied, it does not matter greatly to whom they belong, and no
especial advantage can be derived from the maintenance of them by District Boards."
Seeing that in the North Punjab alone 135 donkey stallions are maintained
by the Imperial Government, and that they are freely supplied wherever a
demand arises, the ground seems already fully covered, and I agree with the
Superintendents that the Boards might more usefully devote the sums they
spend on donkey stallions—which do not appear to be needed—to horse
and pony stallions which supply a real want. The average cost of feed and
keep was Rs. 186-12-4 against Rs. 146-7-1 last year.