GORSE AS A FODDER PLANT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1204, 29 March 1895, Page 6

GORSE AS A FODDER PLANT.

Thus *i Bruni " in the Australasian on the interesting subject of gorse as a fodder plant:—-A few weeks ago, in referring to the attempts that are being made in New Zealand to grow gorse for feeding sheep, I condemned the practice as being fraught with danger to the country. In this I spoke from fclie result of planting gorse in Australia. Wherever this pernicious plant has obtained a footing in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania it has become a curse to the neighbourhood. So great is the harm wrought by the spreading of the gorse that most people think -with me that planting it Bhould be prohibited by law. But it is always risky to assume that the results obtained in one>country will be similar in another, where the conditions of life are different. A correspondent in New Zealand has shown me that under certain circumstances planting gorse in that country may be the best course that can be adopted to utilise the land for stock-feeding. My correspondent writes:—"The farm from which I write keeps a winter stock of 2000 merino ewes, the culls and cast stock from a run in the hills. To these are put Border Leicester rams, and the produce are cleared off as weaners, either to the freezing works, if good

enough, or to winter on the run. The ' land is partly poor and stony with pative graces, and partly strong wheat

!land with cultivated grasses. On one side, however, there is a block of old river bed, stones and shingle, carrying a luxuriant growth of gorse and practically little other feed. Off this land each year for four years past I have taken my best and largest lambs, going up to 401 bat five months old. Last season I put the tups to 200 ewes on this block, and marked 202 lambs, losing seven ewes. The average marking on the farm was 80 per cent., and the loss of ewes 10 percent. Of the 202 lambs, I have just drafted 120, or say 60 per cent., of fats to freeze, the average of freezers over the whole farm being about 45 per cent. This does not speak badly for gorse as sheep feed, and I am aware of other cases where the results are as good or better. Gorse, moreover, has the advantage of being clean and free from the germs of internal parasites which cause so much loss to the sheepfarmers of this country." I have never been in that part of New Zealand from which my correspondent writes, but in all. the parts of Maoriland which I have visited I should regard the introduction of gorse as a great mistake. That in the instance quoted gorse is a good fodder plant must be admitted, but I am of opinion that it would be a very illadvised proceeding for any Australian stockfarmer to encourage the growth of gorse with the view of feeding stock on it.