RUSH CANDLES. 



or rind, so as to leave one regular, narrow, even 

 rib from top to bottom that may support the pith : 

 but this, like other feats, soon becomes familiar, 

 even to children ; and we have seen an old woman 

 stone blind, performing this business with great dis- 

 patch, and seldom failing to strip them with the 

 nicest regularity. When these junci are thus far 

 prepared, they must lie out on the grass to be 

 bleached, and take the dew for some nights, and af- 

 terwards be dried in the sun. 



Some address is required in dipping these rushes 

 in the scalding fat or grease ; but this knack also 

 is to be attained by practice. The careful wife of 

 an industrious Hampshire labourer obtains all her 

 fat for nothing ; for she saves the scummings of her 

 bacon-pot for this use ; and if the grease abounds 

 with salt, she causes the salt to precipitate to the 

 bottom, by setting the scummings in a warm oven. 

 Where hogs are not much in use, and especially by 

 the sea- side, the coarser animal oils will come very 

 cheap. A pound of common grease may be pro- 

 cured for fourpence; and about six pounds of grease 

 will dip a pound of rushes ; and one pound of rushes 

 may be bought for one shilling ; so that a pound of 

 rushes, medicated and ready for use, will cost three 

 shillings. If men that keep bees will mix a little 

 wax with the grease, it will give it a consistency, 

 and render it more cleanly, and make the rushes 

 burn longer : mutton suet would have the same 

 effect. 



A good rush, which measured in length two feet 

 four inches and a half, being minuted, burnt only 

 three minutes short of an hour : and a rush of still 

 greater length has been known to burn one hour and 

 a quarter. 



These rushes give a good clear light. Watch- 

 lights, (coated with tallow ,) it is true, shed a dismal 



