NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 191 



These rushes give a good clear light. Watch-lights 

 (coated with tallow), it is true, shed a dismal one, " dark- 

 ness visible ; " but then the wick of those have two ribs of 

 tlie 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 

 -gJg- of a farthing, and Jj- afterwards. Thus a poor family 

 will enjoy five and a-half hours of comfortable 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 

 •candles 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 there- 

 fore must continue very poor, buy a 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^ or great golden maiden-hair, which they call 

 silk-wood, and find plenty in the bogs. When this moss is 



