78

                                        IN N. W. P. FARM.

Of 8 big mares, 2 have foaled.

Of 6 pony mares, 2 are in foal.

This is all the more satisfactory when we consider that the acreage under
cultivation has increased from 32 to 46 acres.

                                       IN PUNJAB FARM.

Of 8 big mares, 1 has foaled.

Of 5 pony mares, 1 has foaled.

486. Young donkeys continue to be run on the Farm but the number
has been greatly reduced I am sorry to say; this is partly owing to the fact
that the Home-bred donkeys, as stated above, did not develop in bone as they
should; it was, therefore, decided to sell off 10 rather than incur further expense
of feeding. Six excellent young ones were bought at Gujrat and Rawalpindi,
but the number offered for sale this year was not equal to the number usually
offered. This was no doubt partly due to the fact that many had been taken
away for service.

Result of
running young
donkey stock
on the Farm.

487. The donkey stock, the produce of our Italian Jacks, bred in the
Punjab, is improving annually, and if it only possessed greater height it would
compare most favorably with the Jacks imported from Italy and Cyprus in
girth and shank; the Punjabi donkeys thus bred frequently exceed the imported
ones in these two last named points.

488. During the year under report, I was able to purchase 37 head of
young donkey stock, some of these were at once allotted to Provinces for
work, being of mature age. In addition to these, I was able to allot 16 from
the Farm, and only 1 proved unfit. Had it not been for this useful adjunct it
would have been necessary to keep on many old donkeys that have been got
rid of.

489. I would have gladly bought more this year, but no more were
available. A few excellent donkeys that were offered for sale were not bought
as the prices asked were prohibitive, ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300. The
owners of these would not abate at all in price; this I have noticed previously,
and when such is the case, I find that this is due to the fact that the owners
let them out for covering at a fee of 8 annas to one rupee. When I find this,
I never interfere with these men, as I feel that they are doing good service by
keeping these donkeys for the purpose.

Balance Sheet
of cultivation
poerations.

490.    Tables XVII and XVII (a), are Balance Sheets of cultivation operations
carried out at the North-Western Provinces and Punjab Depôts at Babugarh. The
profits of the North-Western Provinces Farm are returned as having been
Rs. 1,440-8-7 against Rs. 1,792-10-0 last year showing a decrease of Rs. 352-1-5,
whilst the profits of the Punjab Farm were Rs. 1,008-0-9 against Rs. 1,118-3-0
last year, being a decrease of Rs. 110-2-9.

491.    Great economy has been exercised in the management of these Farms
in such matters in which expenditure could be reduced, otherwise the results would
not have been as satisfactory as they are. This was mainly owing to the cost of