other Elements 19 



as a basis for the manufacture of commercial fertilizers. 

 All feeding stuifs in their natural forms contain phos- 

 phorus, either as phosphates, or as combined in certain 

 nitrogen compounds which stand in close relation to 

 the vital processes. It is distributed in the flesh of 

 animals, and combined with lime constitutes a large 

 part of bone. 



Chlorine, which is a constituent of common salt, is 

 essential to the nutrition of the animal. At ordinary 

 temperatures it is, in the free state, a greenish -colored, 

 disagreeable gas. When combined w^th hydrogen it 

 forms hydrochloric acid, a compound which is necessary 

 to th3 digestion of food. Any ordinary mixed ration 

 contains this element in a quantity sufficient for the 

 animal's needs. 



Potassium combined with oxygen and hydrogen 

 gives us the caustic potash of the market. The ashes 

 of all plants contain this element, a familiar illustra- 

 tion of this fact being the potassium carbonate leached 

 from wood ashes by hot w^ater in the old-fashioned way 

 of making soft soap. The saleratus formerly used in 

 bread -making is a potassium compound. This element 

 is found in the flesh of animals, mostly in the form of 

 the phosphate, and is abundantly supplied for the pur- 

 poses of nutrition by all feeding stuffs that are not 

 by-products. 



Sodium is the basal element of common salt, and in 

 this form it is very generally supplied to domestic ani- 

 mals. In this connection, sodium chloride (common 

 salt) is about the only sodium compound we need to 

 mention, for this is the one that serves almost wholly 



