338 



NATURAL HISTORY 



and afterwards. Thus a poor family 

 will enjoy 54 hours of comfortable light for 

 a farthing. An experienced old house- 

 keeper assures me that one pound and an 

 half of rushes completely supplies his fa- 

 mily the year round, since working people 

 burn no candle 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 oeconomists, and 

 therefore must continue very poor, buy an 

 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 oeconomy, 

 it may not be improper to mention a pretty 

 implement of housewifery that we have 

 seen no where else ; that is, little neat 

 besoms which our foresters make from the 

 stalk of the polytricum commune, or great 

 golden maiden-hair, which they call silk" 



