Jaw. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N. SAY. 21 



It will be seen that only a few of the foregoing contain substances like 

 bone-meal, bone-ash, calcium phosphate or lime, prescribed to supply material 

 deficient in the soil or herbage (see Nos. '2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) and which may be 

 regarded as bone-forming salts ; the bulk of the ingredients have medicinal 

 action and are not met with in the soils. The cashes of defective bone- 

 de\elopment and osteomalacia, however, appear to provide a clear-cut issue 

 in connection with the jDrovision of material lacking in the soil. It has been 

 fairly conclusively proved (see Science Bulletin No. 12, " Notes on 

 Osteomalacia ") that the soils and herbage of country on which this disease 

 is prevalent are deficient in lime-salts and phosphates, and that the bones of 

 animals affected contain less phosphate of lime than those of healthy animals. 

 The addition of these ingredients to the daily ration, and the use of licks 

 containing phosphate of lime, is indicated as a remedy and its application 

 has been found to l»e of great benefit. 



Natural Licks. 



The whole question of the use of licks of varying composition for different 

 classes of country is distinctly interesting and well worth systematic investi- 

 gation. Samples of earth are frequently received for examination which, it 

 is stated, are used as a lick by stock, especially sheep, and which are assumed 

 to contain substances lacking in the soil, fn some cases it is stated that 

 such " natural licks " are a cure for certain diseases. The following notes 

 set down the general results obtained from samples reaching this laboratory 

 from time to time at haphazard, the laboratory numbers being quoted against 

 each one for the sake of reference in case of inquiry. 



Such a sample was obtained through the Stock Branch from Quidong, 



Burnimbah Station, Bombala (Lab. No. M 6009). This was credited with 



certain curative properties. The sheep were said to eat this earth freely, and 



the station to be free from Black disease. The sample on analysis was found 



to contain": — 



Lime (GaO)... ... .. ... 0"9 percent. 



.Magnesia (McrO) O"! ,, 



Sulphates (8O3) 03 



Chlorine (Cl) 01 



Equivalent to common salt (XaCl) ... ... O'lT ,, 



The amount of saline matter is not very different from that in soils. The 

 dep(jsit has an unctuous feel and taste, and is probably attractive to sheep 

 on this account. 



In this connection it is interesting to note the composition of an artificial 

 lick which according to newspaper j^aragvaphs is " said to be used with good 

 results against Black disease." This lick is composed of salt 10 lb., lime 

 1 lb., and sulphur \ lb. I ani'unable to trace the original source of this formula. 

 Even assuming that this lick pos,sesses curative properties, it will be seen 

 that the composition of the natural lick just referred to does not re.semble 

 this one at all, as the proportion of lime to salt is almost reversed and the 

 natural lick contains no sulphur. P understand, however, that Dr. Dodd, of 

 the Stock Branch, has stated that these ingredients cannot possibly have any 

 effect on Black disease. 



