SELBORNE, _Nov._ 1_st_, 1775.
"Hic . . . taedae pingues, hic plurimus ignis
Semper, et assidua postes fuligine nigri."
Dear Sir,--I shall make no apology for troubling you with the detail of a
very simple piece of domestic economy, being satisfied that you think
nothing beneath your attention that tends to utility; the matter alluded
to is the use of rushes instead of candles, which I am well aware
prevails in many districts besides this; but as I know there are
countries also where it does not obtain, and as I have considered the
subject with some degree of exactness, I shall proceed in my humble
story, and leave you to judge of the expediency.
The proper species of rush for this purpose seems to be the _juncus
effusus_, or common soft rush, which is to be found in most moist
pastures, by the sides of streams, and under hedges. These rushes are in
best condition in the height of summer; but may be gathered, so as to
serve the purpose well, quite on to autumn. It would be needless to add
that the largest and longest are best. Decayed labourers, women, and
children, make it their business to procure and prepare them. As soon as
they are cut, they must be flung into water, and kept there, for
otherwise they will dry and shrink, and the peel will not run. At first
a person would find it no easy matter to divest a rush of its peel or
rind, so as to leave one regular, narrow, even rib from top to bottom
that may support the pith; but this, like other feats, soon becomes
familiar, even to children; and we have seen an old woman, stone blind,
performing this business with great despatch, and seldom failing to strip
them with the nicest regularity. When these _junci_ are thus far
prepared, they must lie out on the grass to be bleached, and take the dew
for some nights, and afterwards be dried in the sun.
Some address is required in dipping these rushes in the scalding fat or
grease; but this knack also is to be attained by practice. The careful
wife of an industrious Hampshire labourer obtains all her fat for
nothing; for she saves the scummings of her bacon-pot for this use; and,
if the grease abounds with salt, she causes the salt to precipitate to
the bottom, by setting the scummings in a warm oven. Where hogs are not
much in use, and especially by the seaside, the coarser animal-oils will
come very cheap. A pound of common grease may be procured for fourpence,
and about six pounds of grease will dip a pound of rushes, and one pound
of rushes may be bought for one shilling; so that a pound of rushes
medicated and ready for use, will cost three shillings. If men that keep
bees will mix a little wax with the grease, it will give it a
consistency, and render it more cleanly, and make the rushes burn longer;
mutton-suet would have the same effect.
A good rush, which measured in length two feet four inches and a half,
being minuted, burnt only three minutes short of an hour; and a rush of
still greater length has been known to burn one hour and a quarter.
These rushes give a good clear light. Watch-lights (coated with tallow),
it is true, shed a dismal one, "darkness visible;" but then the wick of
those have two ribs of the rind, or peel, to support the pith, while the
wick of the dipped rush has but one. The two ribs are intended to impede
the progress of the flame and make the candle last.
In a pound of dry rushes, avoirdupois, which I caused to be weighed and
numbered, we found upwards of one thousand six hundred individuals. Now
suppose each of these burns, one with another, only half an hour, then a
poor man will purchase eight hundred hours of light, a time exceeding
thirty-three entire days, for three shillings. According to this account
each rush, before dipping costs 1/33 of a farthing, and 1/11 afterwards.
Thus a poor family will enjoy five and a half hours of comfortable light
for farthing. An experienced old housekeeper assures me that one pound
and a half of rushes completely supplies his family the year round, since
working people burn no candles 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 economists, and therefore must continue very poor, buy a 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 economy, it may not be improper to mention
a pretty implement of housewifery that we have seen nowhere else; that
is, little neat besoms which our foresters make from the stalks of the
_polytricum commune_, or great golden maidenhair, which they call silk-
wood, and find plenty in the bogs. When this moss is well combed and
dressed, and divested of its outer skin, it becomes of a beautiful bright-
chestnut colour; and, being soft and pliant, is very proper for the
dusting of beds, curtains, carpets, hangings, etc. If these besoms were
known to the brushmakers in town, it is probable they might come much in
use for the purpose above mentioned.