CYTISUS. 117 



and though it be eaten to the ground in the winter, it will 

 spring up again the next season, and thus be a constant 

 supply for them. A whole plantation will be secured at 

 the expense of a few shillings. 



Laburnum-wood is very strong, and is much used for 

 pegs, wedges, knife-handles, musical instruments, and a 

 variety of purposes of that nature. Mr. Martyn, in his 

 edition of Millar's Dictionary, speaks of a table and chairs 

 made of this wood, which judges of elegant furniture pro- 

 nounced to be the finest they had ever seen. 



Pliny speaks of this wood as next in hardness to the 

 ebony : it has been thought to make the best bows ; and 

 it occasionally afforded torches for the Roman sacrifices : 



' ' Tondentur cytisi ; taedas sylva alta ministrat ; 

 Pascunturque ignes nocturni et lumina fundunt." 



VIRGIL, GEORGIC 2. 



" The cytisus is cut, the tall wood affords torches, and the nocturnal 

 fires are fed, and spread their light." MARTYN'S TRANSLATION, p. 197. 



The tree was formerly called Peas-cod-tree, and Bean- 

 trefoil ; but it is now generally known by its Latin name 

 Laburnum, which is supposed to have been derived from 

 the Alpine name L'aubours. The French call it Cytise 

 des Alps (Cytisus of the Alps), and Faux Ebenien (False 

 Ebony- tree). It is a native of Switzerland, Austria, and 

 the Levant, &c. and flowers in May : at this season the 

 mountains in Italy are hung so richly with its golden 

 drapery as to obtain for it the name of Maggio, as we 

 give that of May to the hawthorn. 



The Black Cytisus is a shrub, seldom growing higher 

 in this country than three or four feet : it is very bushy, 

 and the branches are terminated by bunches of yellow 

 flowers, four or five inches in length, having a very agree- 

 able scent. It blossoms in July. This is a native of Si- 

 lesia, Hungary, Italy, &c. 



