May, 1909.] 



151 



Live Stock. 



as compared with English soils, very- 

 poor in phosphoric acid, nitrogen and 

 lime, but usually rich in potash. 



Now to plants, phosphoric acid is 

 apparently more important than lime, 

 at least so far as seed formation is con- 

 cerned, and the yield of seed is often 

 limited by the amount of phosphoric 

 a cid available. 



In many parts of South Africa it 

 has been the practice to attempt to 

 compensate for the assumed deficiency 

 in lime and phosphates of the usual 

 food-stuffs given to animals, by the 

 administration of bone meal, and 

 " sterilised bone meal" is largely used 

 for the purpose. Such a practice un- 

 doubtedly tends to mitigate the evil 

 alluded to, for we may take it that 

 bone meal contains lime and phosphoric 

 acid in approximately the correct pro- 

 portion for bone nutrition. 



But to add a material containing the 

 two substances in correct ratio, to a 

 food which otherwise is far too rich 

 in phosphoric acid, though it improves 

 the final ratio in the mixture, is not so 

 satisfactory a method as the substi- 

 tution for a portion of the oat-hay 

 of a food-stuff relatively rich in lime, 

 e.g., a leguminous fodder-crop like lucerne 

 or cow-peas. Moreover, the mere ex- 

 tended use of leguminous foods would 

 improve the rations of animals in other 

 ways, notably by narrowing the albu- 

 minoid ratio. 



In conclusion, I would urge the im- 

 portance of giving due consideration, 

 in framing rations for animals, to the 

 amount and composition of the ash of 

 the foods, for the supply of materials 

 for the proper development of bone, 

 and of the mineral constituents neces- 

 sary for vital processes are of as much 

 importance to the well-being of the 

 animals as that of proteids, carbo- 

 hydrates and fats in appropriate quan- 

 tities. Where a considerable variety of 

 food-stuffs is employed, e.g., in England, 

 the probability of much injury being 

 done by ignoring this aspect of the 

 question is not nearly so great as when 

 two or three constituents ODly enter 

 into the ration, but even in such cases 

 a proper recognition of the points I 

 have raised in this paper would pro- 

 bably often be useful. 



The writer is fully convinced that if 

 due regard were paid to those points 

 and a more varied diet were supplied 

 to horses and mules in South Africa, 

 there would be a marked improvement 

 in the health and well-being of the 

 draught animals, and that in time 



horses of greater weight of bone would 

 piobably be reared. 



Possibly the same arguments may 

 apply to cattle, but as a rule the ox is 

 allowed to graze and thus obtain greater 

 variety of diet, so that its needs in 

 this connection are probably not so 

 great as with stall-fed animals.— Jour- 

 nal of Agricultural Science, Vol. III., 

 Part I. 



IN-BREEDING. 



In-breeding is recommended by many 

 writers, and especially for show pur- 

 poses. The theory has been advanced 

 that the wild birds in-breed, and yet 

 they are healthy. In many instances 

 this is right, but it must be remembered 

 these birds only lay in the spring and 

 summer, according to their nature. 



Poultry people keep their birds to lay 

 eggs during the autumn and winter 

 months, which is quite a different 

 matter. If we domesticate our fowls for 

 our convenience, then we must breed and 

 treat them accordingly. If we are going 

 to breed for show, then it is wise to do a 

 little in-breeding, but not to the extent 

 that is recommended ; if so, their consti- 

 tutions are undermined. 



We have experimented with in-breed- 

 ing in every variety, and some stand it 

 much better than others. Take, for 

 instance, a man who in-breeds his 

 poultry for show purposes. Say, he 

 breeds seventy fowls ; he picks out just 

 the strongest of the young ones, not 

 more than fifteen or twenty, to breed 

 ftominhis own yard, and more often 

 not half that number. 



It is a frequent thing to hear breeders 

 say of pure birds, talking of others' 

 stock, and we hear the remark especially 

 at shows, " Yes, that exhibitor has some 

 real good birds ; but he in-breeds too 

 much." The answer to that is usually, 

 " How do you know that?" The reply 

 is, " We once bought a stock bird or birds 

 from him, and they soon died, as they 

 had no stamina." 



There are hundreds who do the same. 

 We once knew a poultry-keeper who 

 bought all his stock birds from people 

 who win at most of our shows — that is, 

 the small birds, which are usually called 

 the "culls." These were all bought 

 cheap, and what was the result? Out of 

 very nearly 500 pullets, upwards of 100 

 wasted away, and the others did not 

 average sixty eggs each during the year. 

 The poultry-keeper came to grief, and 

 the money was lost. 



