Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, 



HONOLULU. 



J. G. SMITH, Special Agent in Charge. 



PRESS BULLETIN No. 15. 



LIME AN ESSENTIAL FAOTOK IN FOEAGE. 



By EDMUND C SHOREY, 

 Chemist, Hawaii Experiment Station, United States Department of Agriculture. 



The scientific feeding of live stock is to so feed, that the 

 purpose for which the animal is reared or kept is accomplished 

 without waste of nutrient material. When a ration is so com- 

 pounded that this result is obtained, the ration is said to be 

 balanced. In balancing- rations consideration has for the most 

 part been given to the ratio between the protein on the one 

 hand and the carbohydrates and fat on the other. These are 

 food ingredients proper. They furnish heat and energy, as 

 well as replace the waste of the body. In addition to these, 

 certain inorganic, or ash, ingredients are necessary for animal 

 life or growth. Among these the most important are, phos- 

 phorus, sulphur, lime, iron and potash. 



In the course of analysis of a number of Hawaiian grown 

 fodders 1 it was found that many contained so little lime that 

 it would be impossible for an animal to eat enough to obtain 

 what is usually recognized as the requisite amount of this ash 

 ingredient. 



This lack of lime in many of our grasses and forage' plants 

 no doubt explains the failure to obtain the best results, which 



1 These analyses will be published in full as Bulletin No. 13 of the 

 regular series of this Station. 



