33

mule-breeding to the Army Remount Department remained
unchanged. Only the Palwal Tahsil has so far been taken
over by the Army Remount Department, this has resulted
in the transfer of one Provincial horse and one Provincial
donkey to that Department.

The above-noted changes in stallion power have reduced
the sanctioned scale of non-selected districts to 72 horses and
82 donkey stallions.

At the close of the year there were 62 horse and
pony stallions as compared with 65 at the close of the pre-
vious year. The number of donkey stallions was 79 against
76 last year.

At the end of the year the sanctioned scale was there-
fore short by 10 horse and 3 donkey stallions. Out of these,
8 horses and 1 donkey are replaceable from District Board
funds and will be purchased as soon as money is available
in the budget of the District Boards concerned.

The remaining 2 horses and 2 donkeys were replaceable
by Government. Out of these I horse and 2 donkeys have
been purchased since the close of the year and supplied to
districts concerned.

Services of Stallions.—
Table VIII.

36.    The total number of mares covered by horse and
donkey stallions during the year under
report was 4,104 and 3,114 as com-
pared with 4,036 and 3,396, respectively,
during the previous year.

There is quite an appreciable reduction in the number
of mares now being maintained for breeding purposes by
zamindars in non-selected districts.

                             III.—GOAT AND SHEEP-BREEDING.

37.    During the year under report, 58 cross-bred
merino rams and one ewe were issued from the Government
Cattle Farm, Hissar, to breeders, as compared with 20 rams
and 16 ewes during the previous year.

The progress of merino sheep-breeding has hitherto
suffered because of the difficulty in securing for breeders
the full market value for their cross-bred merino wool.
The Department is anxious to specially cater for sheep-
breeding societies which would be in a position to send
consignments of wool direct to the mills.