STUDIES IN SOUTH INDIAN PASTURES                    81

The calcium content during the dry season was high and reached a value which
was nearly equal to that of a good British pasture. During the wet season, how-
ever, which was the grazing season and during which time there was the most
herbage on the paddocks, the value fell and there seems to have been a shortage of
calcium. The phosphate content at no time equalled that of a good pasture and a
shortage of phosphorus is indicated throughout the period, the shortage was how-
ever most marked during the dry seasons when the values fell to the minimum.

Potash was similarly on the low side except during the period of flush and
before the grass came into flower. Excessive potash is, however, not a very desir-
able factor, in a tract where drinking water is scarce, owing to its diuretic effect.
Considered from the view-point of mineral deficiency there seems to be no actual
deficiency with the exception of calcium, during the best part of the grazing season
but a shortage of the other two minerals—phosphorus and potash—is indicated
almost throughout the year.

The question of the mineral requirements of livestock is still undecided., and
no definite standards have been formulated to meet the needs for the various classes.
In India the position is still more obscure owing to the utter lack of data bearing
on the subject. Crichton [ 1930 ] quoting from Henneberg places the requirements
of steers at about 100 grams CaO and 50 grams phosphoric acid per 1,000 lb. live-
weight. Hart and co-workers [ 1923 ] suggest a requirement of 6—8 grams of
CaO and phosphoric acid per lb. of milk produced as sufficient for maintenance and
production. Whether these standards will suit Indian cattle and conditions, re-
mains to be seen and work has been planned on these lines and will be carried out
in the near future. By analogy of the very low protein requirements as found to
be sufficient for maintenance and production in working bullocks in these labora-
tories (unpublished data), it is likely that the Indian animal can get on with a far
lower level of mineral intake.

It will be seen that with an intake of grass during grazing or soiling, of 50 lb.
the grass herbage having a moisture content of 60 per cent., an animal would be
getting about 50 grams and 36 grams of CaO, and 45 and 27 grams of phosphoric
acid during the best and worst periods, and this is the gross intake of which 15—
20 per cent. may be taken as percentage assimilated, the net amount would be
considerably below the standards suggested above. Theiler and Green [1932]
state that aphosphorosis is liable to occur when livestock are put on to pastures
having a phosphoric acid content of 0.21 per cent. and below and that 0.31 per
cent. is about the safe limit. According to this estimate aphosphorosis is not likely
to occur with livestock on the Hosur pastures, and actually no case has been
observed of suspected osteophagia or any pernicious appetite in the large herds