36

                                        No. 1986 OF 1891.

                                                                                Poona, 15th August 1891.

Forwarded with compliments. The following points are noted as im-
portant :—

2.    Mr. Grainger recommends the entertainment of a Veterinary officer
for the Ahmednagar Depôt, as, during his absence on tour, no veterinary aid is
available. It seems clear that this recommendation is a sound one, but it will
be for Government to decide whether a Veterinary Surgeon should be appointed
in addition to the officer in charge of the Depôt. If a Veterinary officer on military
duty is present at Ahmednagar, possibly the extension of his services to the
Depôt could be arranged for. A salutri is already employed at the Depôt.

3.    There were 104 stallions in the year under report as against 103 in the
previous year, of which 48 were in the Deccan and Karnátak, 11 in Gujarat, 24
in Sind and Cutch, and 21 in Baluchistán. The average annual cost (Rs. 343-5-5)
is still heavy, owing to high prices of fodder, though 5½ per cent. below the
cost of the year preceding.

4.    There were 3,270 mares covered as against 3,143 reported in the previous
year with an average of 37.5 mares per stallion. These figures show a slight
improvement, which is borne out by corresponding increase in the percentage of
produce foaled, though not much reliance is to be placed on the produce statistics.

5.    There was a slight decrease in the number of mares branded. The
decision of Government is awaited on the continuance of the branding system.
Meanwhile the stallions are undoubtedly doing little more than half their work
and the practice must apparently be altered to meet this state of things. If the
brand be not abandoned, it will probably not be found advisable to degrade its
value through indiscriminate branding by Police or other District officers. The
Superintendent's brand cannot, from the experience gained, be affixed to all the
animals which the stallions could cover, but it would be of great value if retained
to give a preferential claim to service.

6.    The number of remounts purchased fell from 643 to 572, of which 296
were taken by the Native Cavalry, 90 by Police, 167 by the Ahmednagar Rearing
Depôt, and 19 by the Army Remount Depôt.

7.    Castration has made some progress. Apart from the operations at the
Depôt (146), 127 horses were castrated as against 72 in the preceding year.

8.    Mule-breeding is doing well in Sind and Baluchistán, but has obtained
no footing in the Presidency proper. It is not probable that much progress will
be made until the example is given by a Government mule-breeding establish-
ment to show pony owners that a profit can be made in this direction.

9.    Mr. Grainger points out that at a number of stations stabling is required
for the stallions. At a few places sufficient help was not given in collecting
mares for branding. A complaint is also made that due notice was not given of
the dates of certain shows.

10.    The Superintendent notes that at Ahmedabad the stallions were not
getting proper exercise. It is well known that impotence is frequently attribut-
able to this cause, which also accounts for other preventible ailments and
casualties among these valuable stud animals. The importance of this point
was brought out at the Veterinary Conference of 1890 (page 15 of the report).

There is reason to believe that this want of exercise is very general and leads
to much failure and loss. In four months of the current year five stallions have
been cast as useless and one has been transferred to another presidency. Of
these casualties, several are due to alleged incompetence. Three (or four) horses
have died. These are serious losses and seem to indicate that District officers
should be called upon to arrange for the exercise of the horses, to the absence of
which some of the casualties at least are pretty certainly due.

                                                                        E. L. CAPPEL,
                                                Director, Land Records and Agriculture, Bombay.