be question'd, the scene is within a mile of
Hereford, and proved by anniversary experience, in the lands, as I take
it, of a gentleman who is now one of the burgesses for that city. And in
Devonshire (the seat of the best husbands in the world) they sow on
their worst land (well plow'd) the seeds of the rankest furzes, which in
four or five years becomes a rich wood: No provender (as we say) makes
horses so hardy as the young tops of these furzes; no other wood so
thick, nor more excellent fuel; and for some purposes also, yielding
them a kind of timber to their more humble buildings, and a great refuge
for fowl and other game: I am assur'd, in Bretaigne 'tis sometimes sown
no less than twelve yards thick, for a speedy, profitable, and
impenetrable mound: If we imitated this husbandry in the dry and hot
barren places of Surrey, and other parts of this nation, we might
exceedingly spare our woods; and I have bought the best sort of
French-seed at the shops in London. It seems that in the more eastern
parts of Germany, and especially in Poland, this vulgar trifle, and even
our common Broom is so rare, that they have desired the seeds of them
out of England, and preserve them with extraordinary care in their best
gardens; this I learn out of our Johnson's _Herbal_; by which we may
consider, that what is reputed a curse, and a cumber in some places, is
esteem'd the ornament and blessing of another: But we shall not need go
so far for this, since both beech and birch are almost as great
strangers in many parts of this nation, particularly Northampton and
Oxfordshire. Mr. Cook is much in praise of juniper for hedges,
especially for the more elegant inclosures, and we daily see how it's
improved of late.

16. This puts me in mind of the _genista scoparia_, broom; another
improvement for barren grounds, and saver of more substantial fuel: It
may be sown English, or (what is more sweet and beautiful) the Spanish,
with equal success. In the western parts of France, and Cornwal, it
grows with us to an incredible height (however our poet gives it the
epithet of _humilis_) and so it seems they had it of old, as appears by
Gratius his _genistae altinates_, with which (as he affirms) they us'd to
make staves for their spears, and hunting darts. The seeds of broom,
vomit, and purge, whilst the buds, and flowers being pickled, are very
grateful.

17. Lastly, (_sambucus_) a considerable fence maybe made of the elder,
set of reasonable