6 PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



grains and oil-bearing seeds, and their by-products, and the 

 packinghouse by-products contain the smallest amounts 

 of water, — 7 to 12 per cent. 



MINERAL MATTER OR ASH 



The mineral matter or ash, as the name implies, is that 

 part of the feed which remains after the combustion of the 

 organic substances. Common ashes are an impure form 

 of mineral matter. The ash consists principally of the 

 elements, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and sodium, 

 in the form of oxides, phosphates, sulphates, carbonates, and 

 chlorides. However, the elements or radicles found in the 

 ash are not necessarily in the same form or combination 

 as those occurring in the living organism. In the unburned 

 substance, some of these elements may occur in different 

 inorganic combinations with each other, or in combination 

 with organic substances. Thus sulphur occurs in many of 

 the proteins, phosphorus occurs in some of the proteins 

 and in other organic substances, and calcium often occurs 

 in combination with organic acids. During the combus- 

 tion of the feed the organic material is oxidized and driven 

 off, leaving behind these elements in inorganic combination. 

 Further, nitrates and nitrites occur in small quantities in 

 growing plants and in animals, but by ignition in the prep- 

 aration of the ash these acid radicles are decomposed and 

 driven off while the metals of these salts are combined 

 with other acid radicles. 



No parts or products of either plant or animal life are 

 free from mineral matter. It is an essential constituent 

 of both plants and animals. The mineral elements po- 

 tassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, oxygen, phosphorus. 



