Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-14
SOIL
The Influence Which It's Character Hes on
Farm

The Influence Which Its Character Hns On
Farm Animals.
It would be profitable and interest,"
ing to know just what influence the
character of the soil upon which their
food grew, and over which their drink
ran, had upon the growth of farm ami
mails. The most important simple ele-
ment which enters into the compost
ton of bone is lime. Its two com
pounds-carbonate of lime and phos-
phate of lime-constitute two-thirds OF
the emit re substance of the bones, and
above ninety per cent. of their earthly
substance. Hence.a certain amount of
lime in the food, and comparatively a
large amount, is necessary to a thrifty
osseous development. In limestone re-
gions this amount OF lime would rare
~, if ever, be lacking. Although
plants exercise their power of selection
of food, they take up more lime where
lime is abundant in the soil than where
it is scant. This is very apparent in
the grains of our cereals, and is notice.
able in the culms or stalks as well.
Also. where the soil is a lime
stone one, the water flowing from it, or
over it. is strongly impregnated with
lime-is what we call hard" In
other localities there is very little lime
in the soil, no limestone having been
disintegrated to aid in its formation.
In such localities the grasses and
grains will contain less lime. and the
water will be devoid of it, or soft"
1t is easily understood that in the
former localities animals will make q
more rapid bony growth. The East
Iennesseeans are tall and bony, and
their large bone development Is at
tributed by all PSYCHOLOGISTS to the
limestone soil. insuring a large amount
of lime in their food and drink. Why
should not the same effect be produced
on their domestic animals? 1t is but
reasonable to suppose that their cattle
and hogs would be bony, as they are.
A Short-horn transported when a small
calf from Illinois, would lose it's
smoothncss and rotundity of form and
become bony and angular. 1t would
no longer be a good Short-horn;
and it's degeneration would be occa-
stoned by the soil.
1t follows that where the soil con-
tains a small amount of lime. food and
grass may not contain enough Of this
bone element for a thrifty development
of the skeleton, and the lime will have
to be supplied from outside sources.
Here is a matter of practical impor-
lance to the stockmen in the richest
agricultural sections OF the country.
particularly on the prairies of the
West, where the soil is deficient in
lime. Where the food and drink is
lacking in lime, the animals will put on
flesh and fat, but fail TO develop bone
in proportion. The calf will become a
''sunfish," and the pig a 'fat runt."
The fact that such calves and pigs are
quite common IN prairie sections, and
are much more common in such &C.
tons than in limestone regions, cor
roborates this view of the case. Stock
men who possess soil of a character
lacking lime, frequently complain that
calves and pigs eat well. are apparent-
ly in good health, are fat, and yet do
not grow. Clearly this is be-
cause they a not get sufficient
material tor bone building. This can
be remedied by a change in the food,
perhaps; or else by giving lime direct.
1t is a curious fact that when an ami
NAL shows a disposition to become a
fat runt, the course of feeding is sure
to be changed to increase the evil.
Grass, clover and straw-rough feed
are lessened in amount or altogether
discarded, and the animal is fed more
milk, meal or roots. That such is the
l 1o,o ,ro oLo11I -,1a. + okny, ov,on,sanaa
observation and study have shown that
it is not the phosphate of lime as a
whole that is lacking. as was formerly
supposed, but the lime itself; phos-
phoric acid usually existing in sufficient
quantities in the food. Now in bone
there arc for 100 parts of phosphoric
ac:d 12O parts of lime. In corr meal
the ratio is as 100 to IS; bran, 100 to 6;
cottonseed meal, 100 to 9; mangolds,
100 to A; milk, 100 to 80: while in
hay of the grasses the ratio is 100 to
| 220; in clover 100 to $50. ard wheat
straw 100 to 100 1t will be een that
in meal, bran. cottonseed, mangolds,
milk, ETC., there is a deficiency OF
lime, while in the hay of the
grasses and clover there is a N ex.
cess. Now when an ANNA l shows
by its growth that it is not getting
enough lime, instead of feeding it more
hay or straw, it is fed less of these and
fed more meal, roots and milk-the
very foods to increase the evil. Il
stockmen understood this matter bet.
ter, they would not feed a runt al
the milk and meal it can eat and
drink"
But in many cases the young animal
could not make u sufficient gain if fec
mostly on hay or straw. While it would
gam somewhat in bone, it would lose
in flesh and fat. In such cases, grain,
roots and milk must be fed, and the de.
ficiency of lime in these be made good
by feeding it direct. Since it is lime
aud not the phosphate of lime which
is lacking. q piece of chalk vii!
answer the purpose just as well as the
expensive prepared phosphate. II
other than limestone regions, would
recommend that q piece of chalk be
kept in the troughs with the salt, that
the animals may lick it whenever they
desire to do so. When an ANNA.
shows 4 disposition to becomea runt, it