FURZE. 251 



the furse, or gorse bushes as they call them, 

 beare very white flowers, differing in nothing 

 else from them that bear yellow, for they are 

 often seene both growing together in one 

 ground." 



As we have neither seen or heard of this 

 variety in modern times, we fear it has be- 

 come extinct ; and that it was merely a va- 

 riety caused by the seed falling into some 

 peculiar spot of soil, which had become more 

 delicate than the natural plant. 



Furze is not without its uses in rural eco- 

 nomy ; but time which civilizes one country, 

 and throws others back into barbarity, changes 

 also the habits of men so effectually, that 

 what is deemed a blessing in one age, is al- 

 most considered a curse in the next. In this 

 kingdom, where we now descend into the 

 bowels of the earth and scoop out its stratas 

 of sulphureous inflammable fossils, for our 

 domestic fuel and manufactory fires, the furze- 

 bush is less regarded than formerly, and more 

 particularly since the improvement of our 

 roads and the increase of our canals has ren- 

 dered the conveyance of coals so easy to all 

 parts of the country, that it is now generally 

 used by the agriculturist in burning lime, 

 which was formerly done by furze-bushes 

 only. No longer back than the time of 



