The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-16 00:00:00

FURZE AND GORSE AS FODDER.

An ingenious country :gentleman of Ireland--
one Mr John Walsh, of Stedalt, Balbriggan, in the
province of Leinster—has recently suggested an
entirely novel plan, by the adoption of which cattle
may be fattened economically. Mr Welsh's name is to
us as the name of a total stranger : and, having even
no knowledge of the mere fact of his existence until
yesterday, we can speak, as we certainly do speak,
of his suggestion in regard to the employment of
wild Gorse or the common Furze as Fodder, quite
dispassionately. It is not simply that the originator
of this scheme for the turning to good account of
plants growing abundantly on waste lauds—plants
hitherto turned to no account whatever—it is not
simply that Mr. Walsh has the merit of directing
the attention of cattle-feeders to the nutriment, in
the way of Fodder, lying unnoticed and uncared
for in acres of Gorse and Furze. But—in addition
to this—he appears to have won for himself the
credit of contriving a machine, a very simple
but very effectual cutting or champing machine, a
machine already beginning to be known as
Welsh's Patent Furze Bruiser, by the operations
of which Gorse, or Furze, may be prepared as
food for any description of stock. The same
machines being useful, moreover, for other purposes,
such as breaking down oilcakes and locust beans,
and, beyond this, for pulping roots. Small, ills
grown turnips, such as are usually left in the field,
Mr Walsh argues (we presume from his own expe-
rience) can be turned to account in this manner—of
itself a matter of some little consideration to
sgriculturists as connected with their various econo-
mic arrangements, I❑ a review of a little pamphlet
explanatory of the scheme thus referred to, a pam-
phlet recently published at Drogheda, we find it re-
marked in a recent number of the Gardener's
Chronicle as follows :

"Mr. Walsh," says our contemporary, the Gardiner's
Chronicle, "has repeatedly called attention in our columns
to the use of gorse as food for cattle. He here describes the
machine by which the furze shoots are reduced to an edible
pulp. It acts by a number of saw-tooth discs revolving in
to one another. When made with two rollers it is called a
single machine, when with four rollers it is termed the
double machine, and is then worked by power. A number
of testimonials to the efficiency of the implement are pub-
lished from well-known and trustworthy correspondents.—
Mr Dawson A. Hilward of Tullogher, and the Rev, W. D.
Fox among them are known to us—and their favourable
testimony may be accepted as perfectly conclusive."

The subjoined, it is then added, is Mr. Walsh's
statement on the subject : _ _

" The operation of it is to tear up, and at the same time
to crush and soften the stuff, so that the prickles are
rendered inert, and the woody parts made more easy of
mastication. Of the numerous contrivances which have
from time to lima been applied to the purpose, none has
been found to act so effectually, and at so little cost, or with
so little labour, as this one. All those hitherto in use have
failed to give complete satisfaction from various causes.
Some, because their inventors, fancying it necessary that
the material should be reduced to a perfect pulp, have, to
that end constructed, very complicated and expensive
machines. These, requiring a vast deal of power, wasted
much time and superfluous labour to produce a result which
was not called for, and in quantities not at all adequate to the
expense. Oa the other hand, machines are much in use
which are supposed to cut the furze into a or i inch lengths.
These are inefficient, inasmuch as they do not soften the
stuff, so that a subsequent operation by pounding or rolling
becomes necessary, without which horned cattle cannot take
it freely. In that rough state horses may eat it, but cows will
not, unless starved into doing so. The machine described
meets all these objections, neither doing too much nor too
little, besides possessing this great advantage—that it offers
the facility of preparing the stuff to different degrees of fine.
ness, according to the class of animals it is required for, by
passing it through once, twice, or three times. For horses,
whose mouths are harder, it is sufficient to pass it once.
For cows and stores, it is found best to pass it twice, which
process does not involve as much labour as would appear
at first sight, as the second run takes only half the time
the first one does. A third run only requires half the time
that the second one does; this is recommended only for
oalves and sheep, and for fattening cattle in the stalls. The
application of tam) to the fattening of cattle is rather
a new feature in the cultivation of this plant, probably
unknown to many; but the practice of the last few
years has proved it to be a most important auxiliary tor
that purpose, not only as taking the place of more expen-
sive food, but as contributing to increase the digestive
powers of the animals, and to improve the quality of the
meat. With 4 stones of turnips, 2to 3 stones of fume, and
the usual allowance of meal daily, beasts have been fattened
to 7 cwt, in a much shorter time than under the usual treat-
ment. Without a suitable instrument for its preparation,
'hese results would never have been arrived at ; nor could
the valuable nutritive properties of the plant, as shown
by the annexed analyses, and confirmed by practice, have
been brought out. It is true that many people have long
been using furze for horses and cattle by means of the old
appliances; but, by referring to the accompanying
letters, it will be seen that some of the writers had
been using the ordinary chaff-cutters, but now make
use of this machine in preference. It is simple in its
construction and operation. It can be attached to any horse
gear, one-horse power being sufficient for the double one ;
but a two-horse one will give more than a proportional in•
crease in the amount of work dune. The single one can be
worked by power as well. In the cultivation of furze, great
stress has been laid upon the importance of having the
fut-zo grown close and thick, so as to cause the shoots to
be drawn up and tender, and more easily masticated when
cut by the chaff cutter. With the new machine, th's pre-
caution is unnecessary, as it will reduce the coarsest and
most stubborn shoots that may be brought to it. Where it
was first made use of, nothing Was to be had but strong
shoots, cut by hand off hedge-rows and bushes, sometimes
with stalks more than half an inch thick, Of these, the
machine would easily prepare 4 owl, is the hour, passing it
twice. This is given as the average quantity done in re-
gular work, for a much larger quantity has been done when
,-pecial trials were made."
The Gardeners' Chronicle further remarks that—

"Analyses are given by Dr Voelcker, Dr Cameron, and
Mr Masters, of Belfast. Dr Cameron's analysis in April,
put the water present at 78 por cent. ; the woody fibre, 10;
the nitrogenous portions at 2.18; and the starch, &0., at
82. Mr Masters, analysing a sample in Sepember, of no
doubt drier and riper stuff, found only 57 of water, 221 of
woody fibre, 8 of nitrogenous matter, and 10 of starch.
While Dr Voelcker, who examined a very much drier speci-
men, found only 33i per cent, of water, and as much as 17i
per cent. of nitrogenous matter."

In a letter from the Inventor of the Plan and of
the Machine—a communication witten by him
within this present month of Novembet —we find
him thus addressing one of his inquiring correspon,
dents :—" In reply to your favour of the 6i13," he
writes, " respecting my furze machine, I have to
say that it is not to be had in England for sale at
present. I get them manufactured in Drogheda
within a few miles of my own residence as
ordered. Hitherto I have not been able to do
more than execute the orders received. By the
circulars which I send you by this post you
will see that only three of them have as yet been
forwarded across the Channel. [the italics are
our own.] I endeavoured to corm a connec-
tion with sortie of the English houses, but
none of them would entertain it. lam not a
manufacturer myself, being only a country gentle-
man, engaged in farming ; knowing what a vain•
able source of provender was neglected, I turned
my attention to improving the usual means adopted to
the use of gorse. I have so far succeeded, that it
is now beginning
to be made use of in ways never
before contemplated. It is generally considered to
be a good resource in seasons of dearth, or as being
suited to derive same benefit from lands totally
unfit for anything elee. I take to myself the merit
of having demonstrated thaf it may be useful even
in the most fertile districts, such as our own, which
is the great
shown that it can be made an important auxie
grazing county of Meath. I have
liary in fattening cattle either out or in stalls,
quite irrespective of seasons of dearth or plenty.
I have endeavoured to establish a low pr:es, by
making a serviceable implement, without any pre-
tensions to show which I can dispense with, not
having to maintain a character for finish which a re-
gular implement maker would be under the necessity
of doing. I make two sizes ; one is the double ma.
chine for power, price 19 The single one, for
hand power, is made at .1.:6 6s. I find I cannot go
lower. It is to be regretted, in a national point of
view, that this resource does not engage more of the
attention of toe agriculturists. Su much land, now
unprofit abie, could be made productive, and our re-
sources for rearing cattle could be so much extended.
But it is not a taking subject ; oilcakes and any new
foreign substance will attract more attention, and
at the same time cost a vast deal more."

Thu?, very sensibly and very reasonably, writes
the Inventor—not boastfully as it seems to us, but
certainly for 311 that very confidently—in regard
to his own contrivance. It is a contrivance—this
one of Mr. Walsh's—at least worthy of being ex-
amined into by intelligent agriculturists. It has
at anyrate appeared to us worthy of having the
attention of country gentlemen and of farmers
generally thus pointedly directed to it as a matter
deserving some little inquiry, as very possibly, in-
deed, a matter entitled to their most earnest con-
sideration.