Gorse as Green Food.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 874, 30 November 1888, Page 18

Gorse as Green Food.

(Agricultural Gazette. ) I. The notes iu your late number are interesting and instructive, and, I have no doubt, will be the means of induoing many farmers to lay down a trial pal eh of. furze this spring. I happen to have gi b.iyn i.his crop rather extensively for many j'vir- nod I am sure * W. L. R.’ will be glau fi'.i- mo to correct him in one or two pniiiia whore I think he has gone astray. It would be a

pity if, from want of correct instructions, those who try the crop should meet hereafter with failure. In my county, and several other parts of Ireland, furze is extensively cultivated, and wo find it is a mistake to grow it on the very poor lauds, for then we can only cut it every alternate year -paying two years’ rent for one year's crop—and the base of the shoots contains rather too much woody matter; whereas, ff grown on a good gravelly loam or any fairly rich open soils, Bave those of a peaty or calcareous nature, it will give an abundant cutting every year, aud the shoots of from 2 ft to 2h ft high will be green and succulent down to the very roots. The quantity of seed ‘ W. L. R.’ gives, viz., 6 lb, is quite insufficient ; indeed, it would be almost impossible to distribute it over an acre. My experience is, that the thicker it is sown the better. It is ju3t a matter of how much money you wish to spend on the crop at the outset; for the thicker it grows, the finer will be the shoots, and the more juicy the food. Besides, if sown thin, there is room for weeds aud grass to grow through it, and these finally crush it out. On the other hand, if the furze plant gets the mastery, at the start, it will keep ahead, and there is no chance for other vegetation. The quantity usually sown here is from 30 lb to 40 lb by hand, and, if the grass-seed barrow is used, about 25 lb. Again your correspondent makes a mistake in saying that, if sown in March, it 4 will be fib for cutting the same year at Michaelmas, or perhaps earlier.’ He would be correct if he said the Michaelmas twelve months followiug. Furze may be Bown either with a corn crop or hot ; from the beginning of March to the end of May ; but, if sown late it will be absolutely necessary that some grain should accompany it, so that it will cover the land and prevent the summer sun drying it up before the young furze had got hold. When cutting the corn —whether green or matured—a good long stubble should be left, so as to protect the young plants from severe frosts the first winter; after which they will bo able to look after themselves. That furze is now being used as cattle food in your country there can be no doubt, for my company has for the past few years sent a good many 4 Masticators ’ into England ; and I believe it is largely owing to this machine, and tho possibility of now preparing the furze in a fit state for cattle food, that tho crop is becoming so popular.— James Mackenzie, Cork. 11. You would add greatly to the value of your article on 4 Gorse,’ in last week’s issue, could you state where and at what cost, &c., a machine for the purpose of preparing furze as cattle tood can be obtained. I had been recommended to try McKenzie’s, of Cork, but they write me that they have discontinued manufacturing manual-power machines, as they did not find they worked satisfactorily. They also enclosed me a report of a trial of one of their machines, the motive power of which was an 8 h.p. steam engine (not, however, worked to its fullest capacity on this occasion), which turned out about 6J lb of gorse a minute. According to the recommendation contained in your article, each animal shcnld have 39 lb of gorse, night arid morning, with its other food, therefore, if McKenzie’s machine is used the mere preparation of the food would take for, say, twenty beasts, three hours, and this with the assistance of a powerful steam engine. Certainly, unless a simple and more expeditious mode of braising and chopping the material can be suggested, I cannot see what gorse has to recommend it. What is required is a machine to prepare gorse as easy as a man or lad can cut hay or straw into chaff. When such a machine is invented, gorse may become of value to the average tenantfarmer, not before.—C. L. H. iiiT As a winter food for cattle this is most valuable, and when land is well laid down to it, it may last for years, but I found that it had a way of going off in patches, probab y what was cut in the frost, whereby the sap got frozen and burst the tissues of the stock. I managed to keep the crop by sowing an acre every year, and then ploughed up the oldest, having usually about 3 acres. Aspect may have had something to do with it;-mine was south. It does well facing north. Sow down now with 40 lb, no less, to the aore with a com crop—barley preference—in the best-manured land you have, and it will repay. That will not be fit to cub until November, 1889, to the end of February, 1890. After February it is worthless. Cut with a scythe, and cut every year. No practical man will advise any-' thing else. Cut up with hay for milking cows, and you will make first quality butter, but pale. With hay for horses, but do not feed too heavily. Add three or four mangolds to counteract a resin the furze contains. Young stock thrive amazingly on it. Furze-fed cattle are hard to be fattened on other food ; oaten straw, with the cut furze for them. I chopped up all with a heavy cutter, driven by 2 horse-power engine, using it about twice a week, and the chop kept well. Those who are inclined to grow this food would find it most valuable, but well-tilled land should be used, as, though the plant is indigenous, and grows where it ought not, still, when sown thickly, it comes up on single stems to 2sft or 3£t, fine juicy stuff. A masticator works it into a pulp. I saw it at work, but never used one, nor do I think it necessary. I have had thirty years' experience. I would not trouble with this, but that 4 W. L. R.,’in his article of last week on this subject, was, though I am sure with the best intentions, misleading. —J. J. S.