196 SYLVA BOOK i 



ampton and Oxfordshire. Mr. Cook is much in 

 praise of juniper for hedges, especially for the more 

 elegant inclosures, and we daily see how it's improved 

 of late. 



1 6. This puts me in mind of the genista scoparia, 

 broom ; another improvement for barren grounds, 

 and saver of more substantial fuel : It may be sown 

 English, or (what is more sweet and beautiful) the 

 Spanish, with equal success. In the western parts 

 of France, and Cornwal, it grows with us to an 

 incredible height (however our poet gives it the 

 epithet of humilis] and so it seems they had it of old, 

 as appears by Gratius his genista altinates^ with which 

 (as he affirms) they us'd to make staves for their 

 spears, and hunting darts. The seeds of broom, 

 vomit, and purge, whilst the buds, and flowers being 

 pickled, are very grateful. 



17. Lastly, (sambucus) a considerable fence may be 

 made of the elder, set of reasonable lusty trunchions ; 

 much like the willow, and (as I have seen them 

 maintain 'd) laid with great curiosity, and far excelling 

 those extravagant plantations of them about London, 

 where the lops are permitted to grow without due 

 and skilful laying. There is a sort of elder which 

 has hardly any pith ; this makes exceeding stout 

 fences, and the timber very useful for cogs of mills, 

 butchers skewers, and such tough employments. Old 

 trees do in time become firm, and close up the hol- 

 lowness to an almost invisible pith. But if the medi- 

 cinal properties of the leaves, bark, berries, Qfc. were 

 throughly known, I cannot tell what our countrey- 

 man could ail, for which he might not fetch a remedy 

 from every hedge, either for sickness or wound : The 

 inner bark of elder, apply 'd to any burning, takes out 



