Back with a question....

Hey fellow heads I was watching some vids on utube just to gander at some grow rooms and i was wondering what is the ballast does For the HID lights utilize. Is it a amp? Also I have not posted in journal for about 2 weeks i will post pix in the morning. I started out with a local homegrown skunk seed germed it and now its getting ready to bust the five blade leaves....Before i go farther i will say that those seeds were suspected hermies. The seed came from a female in a patch of nothing but female. Anyways there are 2 in the middle next to the 150 watt cfl (incan rating) and under the 4 foot tubes they look beautiful stink like skunk already only about 3 weeks old they are getting ready to bust the five leaf now the two on the outside are healthy looking dont get me wrong but are growing slower, (cause farther away from light) and also on north side there is the 3 leaf on south there is a retarted leaf on both outside plants. Should i suspect hermie. or not......I will have pix posted tomarrow and you can see them for better idea. thanks

The ballast is what supplies the energy to the light.