ceed with my humble story, and leave you to judge 

 of the expediency. 



The proper species of rush for this purpose seems 

 to be Xht /uncus conglomeratus, or common soft rush, 

 which is to be found in most moist pastures, by the 

 sides of streams, and under hedges. These rushes 

 are in best condition in the height of summer ; but 

 may be gathered, so as to serve the purpose well, 

 quite on to autumn. It would be needless to add 

 that the largest and longest are best. Decayed la- 

 bourers, women, and children, make it their business 

 to procure and prepare them. As soon as they are 

 cut they must be flung into the water, and kept 

 there ; for otherwise they will dry and shrink, and 

 the peel will not run. At first a person would find 

 it no easy matter to divest a rush of its peel or 

 rind, so as to leave one regular, narrow, even rib 

 from top to bottom that may support the pith : but 

 this, like other feats, soon becomes familiar even to 

 children ; and we have seen an old woman, stone- 

 blind, performing this business with great despatch, 

 and seldom failing to strip them with the nicest reg- 

 ularity. When these junci are thus far prepared, 

 they must lie out on the grass to be bleached, and 

 take the dew for some nights, and afterwards be 

 dried in the sun. 



Some address is required in dipping these rushes 

 in the scalding fat or grease ; but this knack also is 

 to be attained by practice. The careful wife of an 



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