OF FOREST-TREES. 275 



and stripping off the leaves and branches, letting only something of the 

 tops appear: These, covered with a competent depth of earth, will send 

 forth innumerable suckers, which will suddenly advance into an hedge 

 that will grow as well under the shade as sun, provided you keep it 

 weeded, and now and then loosen the earth ; towards which, if through 

 extreme neglect, or other accident, it grow thin, being close cut down, it 

 will fill and become stronger and thicker than ever. 



Of this stately shrub, as some reckon it, there is lately found an Holly, 

 whose leaves are as thorny and bristly, not only at the edges, but all over, 

 as an hedge-hog, which it may properly be called ; and I think was first 

 brought by Mr. London out of France. 



The timber of the Holly (besides that it is the whitest of all hard 

 woods, and therefore used by the inlay er, especially under thin plates of 

 ivory, to render it more conspicuous) is for all sturdy uses ; the mill- 

 wright, turner, and engraver prefer it to any other : It makes the best 

 handles and stocks for tools, flails, the best riding-rods, and carters' 

 whips ; bowls, chivers, and pins for blocks : Also it excels for door-bars 

 and bolts ; and as of the Elm, so of this especially, they made even hinges 

 and hooks to serve instead of iron, sinking in the water like it ; and of 

 the bark is composed our bird-lime, thus : 



Peel a good quantity of the bark about Midsummer ; fill a vessel with 

 it, and put to it spring-water ; then boil it till the grey and white bark 

 rise from the green, which will require near twelve hours boiling ; then 

 taking it off the fire, separate the barks, the water first well poured off. 

 Then lay the green bark on the earth, in some cool vault or cellar, cover- 

 ing it with any sort of green and rank weeds, such as Dock, Thistles, 

 Hemlock, &c. to a good thickness ; thus let it continue near a fortnight, 

 by which time it will become a perfect mucilage ; then pound it all ex- 

 ceedingly in a stone mortar, till it be a tough paste, and so very fine as no 

 part of the bark be discernible : This done, wash it accurately well in 

 some running stream of water, as long as you perceive the least ordure or 

 motes in it, and so reserve it in some earthen pot, to purge and ferment, 

 scumming as often as any thing arises for four or five days, and when no 

 more filth comes, change it into a fresh vessel of earth, and reserve it for 

 use, thus : Take what quantity you please of it, and in an earthen pipkin 



T t 2 



CH. XXf, 



