By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 105 



living gold that he alighted and, falling on his knees, poured forth, 

 his soul in praise to the beneficent Creator. By the peasantry of 

 Ireland, furze is converted to many useful purposes. When 

 bruised to crush the spines, and cut small, it is used either alone 

 or mingled with hay, as fodder for horses and horned cattle. 

 When mingled with the mud of which the walls of their comfort- 

 less cabins are constructed, it gives the necessary strength to the 

 walls, and spread on the roofs it occasionally helps to make up the 

 imperfect thatch for these wretched habitations. "As it is in 

 some respects a hardy plant, it serves for fences on the bleaker 

 mountains, and close to the sea-side, where the spray of the sea 

 kills almost every other shrub : but it is impatient of cold, is often 

 killed by severe frost, and is scarcely found in the northern parts 

 of our island. In Cornwall where fuel is scarce, and where it 

 grows to the height of 6 or 8 feet, it is cultivated to advantage, 

 and is generally cut to make fagots for heating ovens, which it 

 does very soon, burning rapidty and with a great degree of heat." 

 The Irish peasantry also use it as fuel. As its ashes contain a 

 considerable quantity of alkali, they are used to make ley. The 

 ass, as well as goats, sheep, cows, and horses, feed upon the tender 

 tops. It was with this plant that the late Sir James Edward 

 Smith, commenced the study of Botany. " I became desirous at 

 the age of eighteen,' , says this excellent Botanist "of studying 

 Botany as a science. The only book I could then procure was 

 Berkenout : Hudson's Flora having become extremely scarce. 

 I received Berkenout on the 9th of January, 1778, and on the 

 11th began with infinite delight to examine the Ulex Europceus, 

 the only plant then in flower. I then first comprehended the 

 nature of systematic arrangement and the Linnsean principles, 

 little aware that at that instant the world was losing the great 

 genius, who was to be my future guide, for Linnaeus died in the 

 night of January the 11th, 1778." Yide Tr. Linn. Soc. v. vii., 

 p. 299. " After the decease of the younger Linnaeus in 1783, Sir 

 James Smith purchased the Museum, books, &c, of the immortal 

 Swede. Since the death of Sir James " which took place on the 

 17th of March, 1828, "they have become the property of the 



i 2 



