Gorse. 
383 
produce much heavier crops, in some aspects and upon some 
soils than others. It dehghts in a warm aspect. In those parts 
of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire, where the country is bleak, and 
the fences are constructed with sods and earth, the gorse sown or 
planted on the southern side of the fences presents a far more 
generous appearance than that on the northern side. 
The natural and most deadly enemy to gorse, and, indeed, to 
every crop that the agriculturist has to cultivate, is couch-grass. 
If the land be ever so poor, provided it be tolerably dry, and free 
from couch grass, it will always produce, under proper manage- 
ment, a good crop of gorse. * 
On both sides of the vale of Conway, patches of fine healthy- 
looking gorse are to be met with on almost every farm, the soil 
being generally what is called sharp barley land. Throughout 
Anglesey, on the most bleak spots, and on every variety of soil, 
the gorse plant is to be seen in luxuriance. The same may be 
said of many parts of Flintshire and Merionethshire as to the 
general prevalence and the flourishing appearance of the plant. 
It is an undoubted fact, that in VVirrall and in other parts of 
Cheshire the cultivation of the gorse plant by farmers, as proven- 
der, would be attended with most profitable results. U here are 
hundreds, if not thousands, of acres, in the counties of Chester 
and Salop, now, comparatively speaking, worthless, which might, 
with a trifling outlay, be made to produce to the farmer heavy and 
valuable crops of gorse. 
The earth carried from excavations and cuttings connected with 
the numerous railways in progress throughout every part of the 
kingdom, and the slopes on the sides of those railways, may be re- 
garded as furnishing the means of introducing, and of extending, 
the cultivation of the gorse plant as provender, at an expense that 
would barely amount to more than doubl ethe cost of the seed 
The chief point in the raising of gorse is to clear the land from 
couch-grass, and to make it tolerably dry. To attain the former 
object, the best plan, if the soil be tolerably deep, will be to carry 
off a spit deep of the surface. The value of the soil in forming a 
compost with lime, sand, clay, &c., will amply repay the expense. 
After repeated failures, by removing the active soil which abounded 
with roots, and exposing the yellow rammel, comprising the sub- 
soil, farmers have succeeded in producing heavy crops of gorse. 
Mr. Hugh Roberts, of Rhosmeulan, adopted this plan, and sold 
the first cutting at the rate of 30Z. an acre. Where soil is thin 
and the surface is foul and loaded with couch-roots, it should be 
pared with a breast plough and burnt. Where the land is com- 
posed of cold, stiff, retentive clay, the best expedient will be, 
should the surface be loaded with couch-grass loois, &.C., to take 
