MINERAL DEFICIENCY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 40, 1 February 1932, Page 11

MINERAL DEFICIENCY

Iu a recent very instructive address given by Mr. C. J. Sanderson, senior veterinary surgeon of New South Wales, on mineral deficiency, a cow yielding 500 gallons of milk gave out (said the speaker) an equivalent of 625 ounces of phosphoric acid, which is the amount contained in 2001 b weight of superphosphate. These particulars were mentioned to show why there was always a mineral deficiency at any time tn soils and that the deficiency was accentuated during the winter months and in drought time by reason of the fact that the plant life did not contain ns much of the available proteins and minerals as during the spring ano summer, or during a normal season. Protein and mineral matters were the two most important food constituents. Proteins were nitrogenous compounds —the important flesh-forming nutrients. They also contained a high per centage of the dry matter in the bodies of cattle, such as skin, horns, hoofs, muscle, etc. Mineral matters entered into the formation of bones, teeth, blood, and other fluids of the body. Protein was the most important constituent, and the proportion of protein in the food was the factor in deciding its feed value. Protein built up the body of the growing animal; it produced musclo and imparted stamina, besides largely entering into the production of milk and wool. It was now recognised that young growing animals if they were to thrive and maintain a normal growth rate required definite and rather large amounts of protein and minerals, especially lime and phosphoric acid.