12 



purslane, and pualele excel most of the grasses; and that the whole 

 kiawe bean is superior to the pods only. This latter fact emphasizes 

 the importance of grinding so as to obtain the value of the bean itself 

 which contains 30 per cent of protein which is lost unless the seed is 

 crushed. 



E. C. Shorey and V. A. Norgaard have shown the shortage of lime 

 in various Hawaiian feeding stuffs and called attention to the ill 

 effects resulting from this lack and also to methods of correcting 

 the deficiency. 



According to various authorities on physiological chemistry, 

 osteomalacia and other similar troubles, such as rickets in the human 

 family, "pica" and "lamesickness" among animals, in which there 

 is softening of the bone, are not always caused by lack of mineral 

 material in the food. These diseases are caused by a disarrangement 

 of the nutritive factors. A lack of inorganic material in the food of 

 growing animals results in the formation of finer-boned, smaller 

 animals. In a mother animal such lack results in the taking of 

 material from her own bones to supply the foetus she is carrying or to 

 produce milk for the benefit of the young which she is nursing. There- 

 fore, any deficiency of lime in feeding stuffs should be made up for 

 breeding stock or growing animals. 



It has been observed by many ranchmen that when animals graze 

 on Hilo grass there is a tendency toward this reduction in size and 

 bone. Where pasturage is known to be deficient in lime the mineral 

 matter must be supplied by feeding bone meal with salt or with 

 molasses. 



Another deficiency of some of the pasture lands is the absence of 

 legumes. The table shows the weeds and grasses to be more or less 

 rich in protein but cattle need a more nitrogenous supplement for 

 economical feeding. 



On the higher lands, where hop clover, white clover, Indian clover, 

 or red clover have become naturalized, the pasturage has been greatly 

 improved. At low and medium elevations, Spanish clover is widely 

 distributed. Desmodium trifiorum grows thickly at the lower ele- 

 vations, particularly with pilipiliula. Black medic and bur clover 

 are two other legumes which, though widely distributed, are not 

 abundant. Bur clover is spreading more rapidly on the higher than 

 on the lower lands. 



As long as grass-fattened animals satisfy the demands of local 

 markets the present feeds, although open to improvement, will con- 

 tinue to be satisfactory, the greatest problem being, as stated else- 

 where, to get sufficient quantity, regardless of quality, during periods 

 of drought. 



