RUSH CANDLES. 225 



one " darkness visible ;" but then the wicks of 

 those have two ribs of the rind, or peel, to support 

 the pith, while the wick of the dipped rush has but 

 one. The two ribs are intended to impede the pro- 

 gress of the flame, and make the candle last. 



In a pound of dry rushes, avoirdupois, which I 

 caused to be weighed and numbered, we found up- 

 wards of one thousand six hundred individuals. Now, 

 suppose each of these burns, one with another, only 

 half an hour, then a poor man will purchase eight 

 hundred hours of light, a time exceeding thirty-three 

 entire days, for three shillings. According to this 

 account, each rush, before dipping, cost one-thirty- 

 third of a farthing, and one eleventh afterwards. 

 Thus a poor family will enjoy five and a half hours of 

 comfortable light for a farthing. An experienced old 

 housekeeper assures me, that one pound and a half of 

 rushes completely supplies his family the year round, 

 since working people burn no candle in the long days, 

 because they rise and go to bed by daylight. 



Little farmers use rushes much in the short days, 

 both morning and evening, in the dairy and kitchen ; 

 but the very poor, who are always the worst econo- 

 mists, and therefore must continue 'very poor, buy a 

 halfpenny candle every evening, which, in their blow- 

 ing, open rooms, does not burn much more than two 

 hours. Thus have they only two hours' light for 

 their money, instead of eleven. 



While on the subject of rural economy, it may not 

 be improper to mention a pretty implement of house- 

 wifery that we have seen no where else ; that is, little 

 neat besoms which our foresters make from the stalks 

 of the polytricum commune, or great golden maiden- 

 hair, which they call silk-wood, and find plenty in 

 the bogs *. When this moss is well combed and 



* Very commonly used in Scotland for the same purposes, and 

 Q 



