RUSH CANDLES. 



dismal 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 progress 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 

 upwards 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, costs one-thirty-third of a far- 

 thing, and one-eleventh afterwards. Thus a poor 

 family will enjoy five and a half hours of comfort- 

 able 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 economists, and therefore must con- 

 tinue very poor, buy an halfpenny candle every 

 evening, which, in their blowing, 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 housewifery that we have seen nowhere else ; 

 that is, little neat besoms which our foresters 

 make from the stalks of the polytricum commune, 



