196 THE GORSE CROP. 



is the supply it furnishes during the winter, when any 

 succulent green food is extremely scarce, and, of course, 

 proportionately valuable. Where it is regularly grown for 

 feeding purposes, it generally comes into use in November, 

 and lasts until the end of April or beginning of May, 

 when, having flowered and matured its seeds, it becomes 

 less succulent and palatable to the stock, and by which 

 time, indeed, the Italian ryegrass, winter vetches, or some 

 other early keep, ought to be ready to take its place. 

 Where gorse is grown for cover merely, it is advisable 

 not to let it stand too long without cutting, as it is apt, 

 after seven or eight years' growth, to get too open at the 

 bottom, and thus be more or less unfit for the purposes of 

 food and shelter, for which it was intended. If a portion 

 say a seventh part of the area be cut down every 

 seven years close to the ground, and the soil well stirred 

 and cleaned between the rows of stumps, a vigorous growth 

 of shoots will speedily make their appearance, and the 

 ground will soon be covered again closer than it was before, 

 while the annual produce of faggots thus obtained will pro- 

 duce something like a rent for the whole acreage occupied. 

 In some of the districts in Wales, where gorse is largely 

 used for feeding purposes, it is customary to grow it on 

 the banks or earth divisional fences of the farms. The 

 seed is sown in drills along the top and on both sides of 

 the embankment; and owing to the conditions being fa- 

 vourable to the growth of the plants, the soil being light, 

 deep, and dry, they generally exhibit a luxuriant growth, 

 and produce large returns. At the same time, they are 

 liable to be greatly injured by the occasional browsing 

 of the stock pasturing in the fields, which always checks 

 the growth of the shoots, even if it does no greater in- 

 jury, while the banks themselves, sheltered as they 

 are by the gorse, furnish an excellent cover for rabbits, 

 rats, and other vermin. 



