45
PART I.—IMPERIAL REPORT.
B.—REVENUE SECTION.
II.-MULE-BREEDING.
Cost of feed and
keep of Govern-
ment donkey
stallions.
218. The average cost per donkey for the past two years has been as follows.
That for the present year is shown inTable XIV:—
|
1896—97. |
1897—98. |
|||||
|
Rs. |
A. |
P. |
Rs. |
A. |
P. |
|
|
North-Western Provinces and Oudh ...... ...... |
142 |
15 |
7 |
165 |
11 |
11 |
|
North Punjab ...... ...... ...... ...... |
186 |
15 |
1 |
196 |
14 |
5 |
|
South Punjab ...... ...... ...... ...... |
182 |
15 |
10 |
189 |
8 |
6 |
|
Baluchistan ...... ...... ...... ...... |
250 |
10 |
7 |
268 |
15 |
0 |
|
Deccan ...... ...... |
511 |
0 |
0 |
490 |
0 |
0 |
|
Guzerat ...... ...... ...... ...... |
318 |
0 |
0 |
363 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sindh and Cutch ...... ...... ...... |
304 |
0 |
0 |
289 |
0 |
0 |
219. There is a slight increase in all Provinces in Northern India, but I
must confess that it is not as much as I expected; and had it not been for the
careful scrutiny on the part of the various Superintendents of all petty expenditure,
it would have been much greater.
220. The cost of feed and keep of donkey stallions in the Bombay Presidency
still continues to be very high.
Number of pony
and donkey mares
served by Govern-
ment donkey
stallions.
221. The number of pony and donkey mares covered by Government stallions
is given in Table IX. The number covered during the previous year is also given
below to enable comparisons to be drawn:—
|
Pony mares. |
Donkey mares. |
|||
|
1896—97. |
1897—98. |
1896—97. |
1897—98. |
|
|
North-Western Provinces |
3,553 |
3,532 |
96 |
150 |
|
North Punjab ... ... |
8,053 |
7,835 |
925 |
850 |
|
South Punjab ... ... |
5,504 |
4,905 |
185 |
139 |
|
Baluchistan ... ... |
103 |
116 |
3 |
9 |
|
Deccan ... ... |
41 |
9 |
... |
... |
|
Guzerat ... ... |
19 |
20 |
... |
... |
|
Sind and Cutch ... |
693 |
684 |
... |
... |
|
Central India ... ... |
11 |
58 |
... |
... |
|
17,977 |
17,159 |
1,209 |
1,148 |
|
222. The falling off, amounting as it does to 818 pony mares, must be con-
sidered satisfactory when all the disadvantages under which the Department has
worked is considered. The Punjab is responsible for the whole of the decrease,
amounting as it does in the North and South Punjab Circles, to 817.
Number of mule
stock foaled.
223. The average of mule stock foaled to each stallion employed, is shown
in Table IX. The following statement will show the working of the year under
review, when compared with last year. As has been done on former occasions, the
percentage of produce to mares covered is also given:—
|
Mule produce. |
Percentage of |
|||
|
1896—97. |
1897—98. |
1896—97. |
1897—98. |
|
|
North-Western Provinces |
16.68 |
14.6 |
33.58 |
29.66 |
|
North Punjab ... ... |
14.54 |
12.91 |
19.41 |
16.35 |
|
South Punjab ... ... |
14.33 |
14.30 |
19.34 |
18.71 |
|
Baluchistan ... ... |
5.6 |
11.0 |
30.00 |
53.39 |
|
Deccan ... ... |
3.10 |
4.0 |
14.92 |
19.51 |
|
Guzerat ... ... |
11.00 |
9.00 |
57.89 |
47.36 |
|
Sind ... ... |
5.64 |
7.32 |
13.48 |
23.66 |
224. The working cannot be properly shown this year in Northern India as
so many mares left the districts in search of fodder that it was impossible to trace
the results in the case of 3,900 mares covered during the previous year.