December, 1912.] 



443 



THE LIME. 



VALUE OF THE SKINS OF THE FRUIT. 



The Agricultural News of September 28, 1912, publishes a note on the 

 Feeding and Manurial Value cf Lime Skins by H. A. Tempany, Superin- 

 tendent of Agriculture for the Leeward Islands:— The disposal of the 

 expressed skins obtained in the extraction of lime juice by milling is a 

 question of some interest to those engaged in the lime industry. In some 

 cases the lime skins are simply thrown away, but a far better practice is 

 to utilize them either for feeding stock or for manurial purposes direct. 



Cattle will eat lime skins readily and they possess value both directly 

 as a fodder and also as a relish to the ordinary rations of stock. 



On certain estates in Dominica the practice exists of making a species 

 of ensilage of lime skins ; this appears to be a useful method of dealing 

 with them, since the limes produced in excess of the requirements of the 

 stock on an estate during crop time can be utilized for feeding purposes 

 out of crop. When properly handled, lime skins do not appear to suffer 

 any deterioration when treated in this way. 



The following analytical data obtained in the Government Laboratory 

 for the Leeward Islands concerning two such samples of ensilage from 

 estates in Dominica are of some interest in view of the complete absence of 

 published information of this character at the present time. The samples 

 were obtained and forwarded by Mr. J. Jones, Curator of the Botanic 

 Station, Dominica. 



Sample A, Sample B. 



Moisture ... ... 796 765 



Nitrogen ... ... 293 0-246 



Equivalent crude protein ... 1*83 1'54 



Crude fibre ... ... 3 2 51 



Extracted matter ... ... — 1*9 



Albuminoid nitrogen ... ... 0-114 — 



True protein ... ... 712 — 



In the case of neither sample was the ash determined. Other deter- 

 minations tend to show, however, that the ash content of lime skins is 

 in the region of 1 per cent., assuming this value in the case of Sample 

 B, we arrive at an approximate value of 14 '0 per cent, for the crude 

 carbohydrate content and 12'2 for the albuminoid ratio on the crude 

 protein. 



From this it will be seen that the ensilages have a distinct feeding 

 value, though they are somewhat deficient in proteins. Under the head 

 Extracted Matter must be included the residues of the essential oil not 

 expressed in the processes of ecuelling acd milling ; it is to this and the 

 residues of citric acid, included under the head crude carbohydrates that 

 the skins owe their value as a relish. 



The following analysis of the manurial value of lime skins is repro» 

 duced from the Report on Sugar-cane experiments in the Leeward Islands 

 for 1905-6 ;- 



Nitrogen. Ammonia- Phosphoric acid. Potash, 



0*314 0'381 0-006 0-148 



From the above analysis it is calculated that lime skins are, worth 

 $ 0*95 pei ton for manurial purposes, 



