The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-20 00:00:00

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FURZE FOR FORAGE.

The subjoined passages are taken from a letter in the
Belfast .J..Ve ws:
The furze plant has been employed for many years, in
the counties of Down and Antrim, as food for cows and
horses, particularly in the months of March and April.
The farmer possessing large furze hedges, will take the
opportunity of dry weather in the beginning of December,
and set them on fire; by which means all the lighter or
prickley parts will be consumed. The more solid or woody
stems should then be carefully cutaway, and will fully com-
pensate the husbandman for his trouble, by the fuel which
which they make. In the early part o f the spring, the
hedge will be thickly covered with young and tender scions
.of the plant, which make the Most nutritious food, and are
most easily prepared for the cattle. When a large basket
or bundle of these has been collected, they are spread on
the barn floor, or a smooth flag, and well .beaten with a
heavy piece of wood having a erooked handle, shod with
transverse teeth of iron. When they are nearly reduced to
a proper degree of softness,. they may be sprinkled with
salt and water, which makes them more wholesome for the
cattle, at the same time facilitates the process of bringing
them to a proper degree of softnesi.
When properly bruised, they may be mixed with a small
quantity.of -oats, bran or oatmeal, and horses will feed
upon them with avidity. I have never observed a horse
fed in the manner above described, that did not improve in
flesh, and obtain a degree of sleekneSs in the skin, more
than others fed on larger quantities of oats. It must be
observed, however, that if two horses stand together in
the same crib, or labour in the same plough, the one fed
on the furze plant, and the other fed entirely upon oats,
the breath of the one fed on furze will be in some degree
deleterious to the other, and produce weakness and much
perspiration.

Some of the most able physicians have recommended
,goat's milk whey in pulmonary complaints ; and the prin-
ciple reason why goat's milk should possess any medicinal
quality, is the nature of its food in a state of liberty. The
favourite food of the goat is furze ; therefore it may be
fairly concluded, that the milk of a cow fed on the same
plant will possess a medicinal quality also.

CUPIDS MOURNING OVER A BROKEN LUTE.—
Among the exquisite engravings which adorn " The Book
of Gems," none will be more amired than the above from
Hayter's picture. " The Book of Gems" as a volume of
selections from the British Poets, has no superior ; as a
volume of specimens of British art it has no equal within .
the same compass. Fifty poets furnish the contents, and
fifty.-three painters and sculptors, the illustrations. We
thought the annuals had done their best, but in point of
beauty, splendour, interest and power, " The Book of.
Gems" surpasses every thing that art and poetry have as
yet completed amongst us.
It is well known that cold-blooded animals use
very little food. If a rattle-snake gets one good meal in
"three months it .is all that he requires ; but even this 'is
not actually necessary, for I have seen one of these ani-
mals that had not tasted food or water for twelve months
as plump, active, and venomous as those in the wild state.
On the other hand, all those animals- that have warm blood
require an immense quantity of food, and if they do not,
receive this they soon perish ; but nineteen-twentieths of
this appears to be taken into the system for the evolu-
tion of animal heat. The carbon is ultimately derived
from the nourishment that we use, and the oxygen is di-
rectly derived from the arterial blood ; a constant supply
of nourishment is, therefore, necessary in warm-blooded
animals ; but a very, small part of the blood which is
formed from this is required for nutrition ; and the
whole of it were expended in this way, it is very clear that
there .would be none left to return to the veins.--=-Dr:
Stevenson Respiration, in the Phiksophical Transactions.
A few nights since a policeman found a man leaning
against the, iron railings of St. George's Church, in such a
state of exhaustion as not to be able to move without
assistance. Subsequently it was ascertained that his name
was Leigh, a private in the Royal Marines, who, having
stopped over the time allowed him to come to town, feared
to return to his duty, as he dreaded corporal punishment.
He had wandered about for three days and three nights,
and at .length sank from exhaustion, caused by want of
food and rest. After staying some time at the station-house,
where every attention was paid him, he was taken to the
Town-hall, when the magistrate directed aconstable to con-
vey him to his. Tegitnent. This was done ; and from the re-
presentations made to the commanding officer, it is believed
1 that he will escape the punishment of the lash.