April, 1921. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



157 



Excess 

 Acid. 



la.oi 



2.G3 



68.34 



6.07 



9.88 



2.87 



20.48 



40.12 



20.27 



7.54 



9.77 



TABLE I The necessity for CalciTim and phosphorus is of most 



r Qt. ff • • practical significance. Calcium is fouud in large 



or teeuuig ^tu s. amounts in ground limestone, whiting, bone meal, Cal- 



I solution per lUU ot ^^^^ lactate, CaCl. : both calcium and phosphorus 



pp, ,_ ,, occur in raw rock pliosphate, raw bone, steamed bone, 



„■ ■ precipitated bone and acidulated bone. 



There seems to be very little difference as to whether 

 ealeiiuu and pho.sphorus come from the above inorganic 

 1 "i com|)()unds or wiietlier they are of organic origin as 

 phosphorized fats or proteins. 



The feeding of excessive amounts of the carbonates 



as ground limestone or precipitated carbonate inter- 



feres with digestion by neutralizing the normally 



acid stomach. Such feeds, however, may be success- 



fully mixed with feeds in desired amounts. 



Among phosphates, the bone preparations are much 



more palatable than rock phosphates, and also more 



■•■•• assimilable. Among the bone preparations (raw, 



steamed, precipitated and aeidulateil) the steamed 



bone is most generally useful, because it is most palat- 



,.,. p, able, available, and not much more expensive. Ra^v 



14'? 41 bone is difficult to grind fine enough for feeding pur- 



iqn Qc poses and has an animal odor of which cows are afraid. 



„„ ", _ Slightly acidulated bone is more readily soluble than 



nr rjA steamed bone. 



„j."„^ The phosphates besides being more palatable than 

 or ni) carbonates may be taken in much greater quantity 

 on rr without disturbing digestion and for this reason are 



more useful in a self feeder. 

 31 24 Mineral Supplements for Sheep. 



22.59 Horses are subject to bone unsoundness because their 

 bones are subject to extreme strain. The quality of 

 27.29 bones, after eliminating the hereditary factor, is de- 



termined in large part by the character of forage, 



which in turn is affected by the low or high content of 

 19.91 available mineral in the soil. 



Horses are .sensitive to odors and some will eat bone 



preparation.s, while others will not. By mixing 2 to 6 

 36.57 ounces of steamed bone flour with feed daily per head 



in rations of growing horses the quality of bones may 



be increased. Qualitj' in this instance has special re- 

 ference to density and tensile strength. This effect is 

 * (Taken from Ohio Agricultural Exp. Sta. Bui. No. not visible in the living animal. There .seems to be jus- 

 255.) tification for the popular belief that certain regions 



famous alike for fine horses and luxuriant pasture 



the load the skeleton must carrv and has shortened the gi"a««es partly owe their pre-eminence in these regards 

 time for its development. Thii has focused the atten- to the calcium and phosphorus content of its soil and 

 tion upon the mineral content of rations of farm '^^ ^^^ lorage crops, 

 animals. Mineral Supplements for Sheep. 



The fact that simple inorganic salts of calcium are Sheep are confined td forage more exc'liisively than 



assimilable by animals has been understood for years, other farm animals. The rate of growth and milk pro- 

 The feeding of mineral feeds to farm animals justifies duct ion does not cause excessive demands for mineral, 

 it.self in that it increases strength and denseness of and the forage contains sufficient amounts to meet the 

 structure of bones; it makes possible the normal de- requirements. 



velopment of rapidly-growing animals; and it aids in Mineral Feeds for Cattle, 



restoring the drains for ash that lactating animals or j,, sections of the State of Washington where soils 



females developing tlie cmhryo young have upon tiieir ^re deficient in calcium and phosphorus, pathological 

 skeletons. conditions of bones in cattle occur. A low mineral re- 



The feeding of minerals produces no exactly measur- serve of cattle seems to be connected with the follow- 

 able increase in growth or in milk prodnction. Incases ing points: (1) cows get in calf with greater diffi- 

 where rations arc extremely poor in minerals some ad- culty after prolonged lactation than earlier in the 

 ditional growth and perhaps some additional milk may period, (2) cows bred young tend to remain small per- 

 result by the addition of mineral supplements. maneiitly, (3) cows without a dry resting period are 



The rations of farm animals vary, and for this reason apt to begin lactation below their normal rate, 

 the recommending of any one or group of mineral feeds To insure against a mineral deficiency, it is well to 



cannot fit all cases. However, in selecting a mineral give animals access to a two to one mixture of steamed 

 supplement it is well to consider its cost, availability, bone and salt. According to work at the Ohio Exp. Sta. 

 assimilability, palatability, and pmity. calves weighing 90 lbs. will eat about a pound of n two 



Acidity or Alkalinity of the Ash 

 Results expressed in cc. of norma 

 dry substance 

 Feeding stuff 



Cereal Products: 



Wheat 



Wheat bran 



Wheat middlings 



Wlieat gluten 



Red dog flour 



Corn 



Pearl hominy 



Gluten feed 



Distiller's grains (corn) .. .. 



Malt sprouts 



Oats 



Rice 



Roughages : 



Clover hay 



Soy bean haj' 



Cow pea hay 



Alfalfa hay 



Timothy hay 



Corn stover 



Blue grass 



Wheat .straw 



Leguminous seeds : 



Soy beans 



Cow peas 



Nitrogenous concentrates : 



Linseed oil meal 



Cottonseed oil meal 



Animal products : 



Milk, skim 



Mutton 



Eggs 



Tankage 



Blood, swine 



"Black albumen"' 



7.73 



44.36 

 80.36 



2.42 

 39.09 



