PART III.] MORRIS BIRKBECK, ESQ. 589 



will bring them to about the thickness of fine 

 large reeds in England, and to about twice the 

 length ; and, 1 will engage, that a large barn 

 may be covered, by a good thatcher, with the 

 stalks, in two days, and that the covering shall 

 last for fifty years. Only think of the price of 

 shingles and nails! Only think of the cost of 

 tiles in England ! Only think of the expence 

 of drawing or of reeding straw in England ! 

 Only think of going into the water to collect 

 reeds in England, even where they are to be 

 had at all, which is in a very few places ! The 

 very first thing that I would do, if 1 were to 

 settle in a place where I had buildings to erect, 

 would be to sow some Broom-Corn ; that is to 

 say, sow some roofs. What a fine thing this 

 would be upon the farms in England ! What a 

 convenient thing for the cottagers ! Thatch for 

 their pretty little houses, for their styes/ for 

 their fuel-house, their cow-shed ; and brooms 

 into the bargain ; for, though the seed would 

 not ripen, and though the broom-part would 

 not be of the best quality, it would be a thousand 

 times better than heath. The seed might be 

 sent from this country, and, though the Bo 

 rough-villains would tax it, as their rapacious 

 system does EVEN THE SEEDS OF 

 TREES ; yet, a small quantity of seed would 

 suffice. 



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