238 



CHAPTER VII. 

 Race-Courses. 



ON KEEPING A GALLOPING TRACK IN ORDER EFFECT OF GROUND ON 

 HORSES MEASURING COURSES LENGTHS OF DIFFERENT COURSES IN 

 INDIA. 



THE climate and the hardness of the ground are the 

 two great difficulties which a trainer has to contend 

 against in India. When a race-course is on the ordi- 

 nary soil we meet with in this Presidency, having gener- 

 ally a substratum of kunkur, nothing but constant 

 manuring and picking up can keep it in order. This 

 costs so much, that the Clerk of the Course (unless the 

 Race Fund be particularly rich) may be well contented 

 if he can keep a galloping track, even if only four 

 yards broad, in good going order all the year round. 

 Just before the close of the rains, he should take advan- 

 tage of the softness of the ground to plough it up. It 

 will cost about Rs. 30 a mile to plough and harrow a 

 course 40 feet broad. If the ploughing be delayed, 

 nothing but the pick-axe will touch hard soil. When 

 arranging coolies for picking up ground, it is a good 

 plan to have two men to each pick-axe, or hoe (phurwa), 

 so that one may relieve the other, who will then pulverise 

 the clods with a wooden batten (rtiungurree or tapee). 

 The cost of labour may be calculated as follows : 



On the hardest kunkur soil, a coolie, using a pick-axe 

 (gyntee), can pick up and pulverise about 30 square 

 yards, 4 to 6 inches deep, a day ; or, with a hoe, he can 



