390 
Gorso. 
tainted with an unpalatable flavour. The substitution of a por- 
tion of gorse for their food ^Yill effectually prevent this result. 
Mr. H. Bicknell, of the Penrhyn Arms, Bangor, the owner of an 
extensive dairy, kept his milch cows one winter exclusively upon 
gorse. His dairy, as to the quantity, became less productive; but 
the quality both of the milk and butter was greatly improved. 
The milk was rich, and the butter excellent in colour and flavour. 
Before the month of May, however, he found that every one of 
his cows had lost all the hair off its skin. This is to be attri- 
buted to the cows not having had any allov,ance of cooling food, 
such as turnips, potatoes, or bran-mashes ; as well as to the dry 
shrivelled state of the gorse during part of the time that the cows 
were fed with it. The store and barren cattle that were out and 
had it given to them on the field did remarkably well. 
Mr. Bicknell keeps a great number of horses for coaching and 
posting, as well as for farm purposes ; and has for m.any years 
been in the habit of using gorse, in some instances partially, and in 
others wholly, as a substitute for hay. 
It is the great diflTerence in the cost of production, as well as in 
the amount produced per acre, that gives to a gorse crop so de- 
cided and so overwhelming an advantage as to profit over a crop 
of hay. A single cutting of gorse was last winter worth 16/. an 
acre, and many acres were sold at that rate. The gorse grew on 
land not otherwise worth, at the highest estimate, m.ore than 7^. 
or 8.9. the acre. 
The cultivation of this plant even in Wales, where its use has 
been known time immemorial, is as yet in its infancy. 
It is to be hoped, however, that so rich a source of profit will 
no longer be overlooked by the occupiers of land in similar dis- 
tricts. If they will but avail themselves of the benefit which the 
cultivation of this common plant presents to them, they may keep 
a larger stock than they have at present, and that in good con- 
dition, may save tanks of urine from their sheds, increase the size 
of their dung-heaps, and so raise heavier crops of potatoes and 
turnips. 
APPENDIX. 
No. ]. 
Thcnias Williams, of PenJicu ar, in (he parish of Sanger. 
I AM 14 years of age. As a farmer and a cowleech, I have been prac- 
tically acquainted with tlie use of gorse as food for cattle since I was a 
hoy. When niilcli cows are fed whh gorse the produce in milk and 
butter is always better than when they arc kept on hay. My father 
