24 THE SCOUR1NG-RUSHES. 



refer to the same appearance. The names " snake-weed " 

 and " snake-rush " are probably derived from the fact 

 that these plants often grow near water, damp thickets 

 and snakes being always popularly associated. The 

 author has also heard the stems called " frogs' fishing- 

 poles." The species has occasionally been called 

 " smoke-weed " or " mountain-rush," but the reason for 

 the application of these names is not apparent. " Horse- 

 pipes " refers to the large size of this species. Smaller 

 species are called " pipes " or " paddock-pipes," and the 

 larger ones would naturally be called " horse-pipes," just 

 as we speak of " horse-radish " " horse-fiddle," or " horse- 

 chestnut." " Winter-rush " alludes to the fact that this 

 is our commonest evergreen species. At the time of its 

 use as a scouring-agent it was imported into England 

 from Holland in large quantities, and in this way gained 

 the name of " Dutch rush." It is stated that this species 

 is often planted upon the dykes in Holland, its long 

 branching rootstocks serving to prevent the soil from 

 washing away. 



Children often amuse themselves by placing the fresh 

 stems on the rails of the street-car lines, and listening for 

 the sharp reports caused by the air in the central cavity 

 bursting through the walls of the stems as the car passes 

 over them. The juices of the stem will also cause them 

 to explode when thrown into the fire, and the medicine- 

 men of various Indian tribes still make use of them in 

 this way, in order that their popping may stimulate 

 their patients to renewed vigour, The hollow joints of 

 the stem may be made into a rude sort of Pan-pipe simi- 

 lar to those made from canes by the negroes of the South. 

 According to an old writer it was thought that if 

 cows fed upon this plant their teeth would drop out. It 



