Gorse. 
393 
ground, mixed with chaff, is sufficient food for two horses for twenty- 
four hours, with a very little hay put in their rack at night. 
No. 6. 
From Mr. T. Williams, Occupier of a large Farm and a Breeder' of 
Stock i?i Anglesey. 
Llanfawr, 2\st April, 184.5. 
In the spring of 1843, I prepared a field of 4 acres for gorse ; 2 1 
planted in February with plants from small beds sowed in July, 1842, 
in a corner of the field ; the remainder was sowed broadcast (as clover) 
with barley very thinly sowed. 4 lbs. of seed I put in the beds ; 
20 lbs. sowed broadcast in the other part : it took four men six days to 
transplant. This season I sold about 3 acres of this field to different 
parties for 24/. ; it would not fetch more than 16/. another year, fodder 
being this season very high ; 50*. worth of what I sold would keep a 
horse for six months. From 1st of November to the end of May, last 
year, about 2 acres of gorse kept my 7 horses ; this year it took about 
3 acres, the crop being lighter. I always cut at two years old. I give 
them besides a little Swedish turnips in winter ; about half a bushel of 
potatoes daily in spring, between the seven, and 4 bushels of oats 
weekly. I think I can challenge any farmer in the county for the good 
condition of my horses. About 8 kibbins (48 lbs.) will serve a horse 
for twenty-four hours. Some horses eat more than others ; all eat more 
in winter than in spring; lean horses eat more than fat ones. I never 
prepared any gorse but for horses, owing to the want of a proper 
machine to prepare it fine enough for cattle. A man may cut in the 
field in three hours enough for seven horses for a week ; they used to 
pay 2c?. per quarter for chopping before cutters were used. I consider 
the saving 60 per cent, to a farmer in feeding horses with gorse instead 
of hay. 
As for gorse for cattle, about 305. worth served each cow from my 
field this season ; and they are in much better condition than those fed 
with hay — the gorse was chopped ; the butter and milk is better, but it 
is great labour to prepare it fine enough. 
No. 7. 
From Mr. J. Atkinson. 
Mona House, 20th April, 1845. 
In reply to your note respecting gorse as food for horses, I beg leave to 
inform you that never have its beneficial properties as fodder been more 
clearly proved than in this year of scarcity. We have had ten working 
horses kept entirely upon it from the lOth of November to the 1st of 
March, without a grain of oats or one blade of hay ; and the average 
consumption being, as near as I could calculate, from a number of trials, 
from 38 lbs. to 42 lbs. of gorse per horse, per diem. The food was 
always portioned out to them by measure ; and the difference in the 
weights will arise from the greater or lesser quantity of succulent matter 
