OF SELBORNE. 335 



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 Sum- 

 mer ; 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 labourers, 

 women, and children, make it their busi- 

 ness to procure and prepare them. As 

 soon as they are cut they must be flung 

 into 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 sup- 

 port 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 

 dispatch, and seldom failing to strip them 

 with the nicest regularity. When these 

 junci are thus far prepared, they must lie 

 out on the grass to be bleached, and take 



