NOTES ON OSTEO-MALACIA (BONE-CHEWING). 



17 



TABLE VI. 

 COMPOSITION of the Humus from Affected and Non-affected Areas. 



Grasses. 



At the beginning of these investigations three samples of grass from 

 affected areas and three from unaffected areas were received from the Stock 

 Inspector, who stated in his covering letter, " Owing to the scarcity of 

 herbage here at present I am unable to send you anything like a fair sample 

 of grass, having to cut under the soil to obtain any at all." Since these were 

 the only samples available for this work, an analysis of them was accordingly 

 made. These are set forth in Table VII (A and Al), the former being 

 from affected areas and the latter from unaffected areas. Later on in the 

 season five further s.amples of. grass, identified by the Government Botanist 

 as Eragrostis leptostachya, a common grass in New South Wales from the 

 coast districts to the tablelands, were received, all from affected areas. The 

 composition of the ash of these is set forth in Table VII (A2). 



The mean of all these grasses from affected and non-affected areas is given 

 in Table VII (B). 



From these figures it is seen that the ash of the grass from affected areas 

 contains very much less phosphoric acid and lime than does the ash of grass 

 from non-affected areas. 



TABLE VII. 

 COMPOSITION of Grasses from the South Coast from Affected and Non-affected Areas. 



Of couch grass and prairie grass, two of the most ideal feeds for cattle, 

 about half a hundredweight is required to supply the necessary protein and 

 starch, and this amount may be taken as the quantity of grass eaten by an 

 average cow per day. 



Stohmann has found that a cow of 1,000 Ib. live weight requires 1'4 oz. 

 phosphoric acid, 2'1 oz. lime, and 3*8 oz. potash per day. 



Applying the data mentioned to the above grasses from affected and 

 unaffected areas, and assuming the grass as eaten to have the same moisture 

 content as ordinary grass, namely, about 70 per cent, of moisture, it is to be 



