Penfyhania, Philaklpbia. 59 



boiled piece of meat, a little of it bein^ ftrewed 

 upon it, or mixed with the broth. Betides this, 

 cucumbers are pickled with it. Or the pods are 

 pounded whilft they are yet tender, and being 

 mixed with fait are preferved in a bottle ; and 

 this fpice isftrewedover roafted or boiled meat, 

 or fried fifh, and gives them a very fine tafte. 

 But the fruit by itfelf is as biting as common 

 pepper. 



THIS country contains many fpecies of the 

 plant, which Dr. Linnaeus calls Rhus, and the 

 moft common is the Rhusfoliis pinnatis prratis 

 lancedatis retrinque nudis, or the Rbus %labra. 

 The Englljh call this plant Sumach. Bat the 

 Swedes here have no particular name for it, and 

 therefore make ufe of the Englijh name. Its 

 berries or fruits are red. They are made ufe of 

 for dying, and afford a colour like their own. 

 This tree is like a weed in this country, for if 

 a corn-field is left uncultivated for fome few 

 years together, it grows on it in plenty, fince the 

 berries areipread every where by the birds. And 

 when the ground is to be ploughed> the roots 

 flop the plough very much. The fruit flays on 

 the fhrub during the whole winter. But the 

 leaves drop very early in autumn, after they are 

 turned reddifh, like thofe of our Swedijh moun- 

 tain afh. The branches boiled with the berries 

 afford a black ink like tindture. The boys eat 

 the berries, there being no danger of falling fick 

 after the repaft ; but they are very four. They 

 feldom grow above three yards high. On cut- 

 ting the ftem, it appears that it contains nothing 

 but p|th. I have cut feveral in this manner, and 



2 found 



