The
careful wife of an industrious Hampshire labourer obtains all her
fat for nothing; for she saves the scumrnings 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 sea-
side, the coarser animal oils will come very cheap. A pound of
common grease may be procured for four pence; 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 an
half, being minuted, burnt only three minutes short of an hour: and
a rush still of greater length has been known to burn one hour and a
quarter.
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