supped and spent the evening at his house on the
banks of the Schuylkil; where he has a productive
farm, which appears to be well managed. The
road up to the house was planted on each side
with English quicksets, which appeared to thrive
better than any I had seen in this country, I un-
derstand that the winters here are generally too
sharp for thorn, so that they rarely answer as a fence.
However the native American thorn makes a good
hedge; and, in some parts of the Delaware State,
I have seen it used to considerable advantage. It
is a much greater ornament to a plantation, than
either the common worm fence, or that of the posts
and rails which generally prevails throughout the
United States. The farmers object to hedges in
general, alleging that they harbour birds and ver-
min of different kinds, which injure the crops.

4th Month 15th, 16th, and 17th,

were spent at
Merion

and in its neighbourhood. In the economy
of a family in this country, I frequently observed
a practice well worthy of imitation, where soap is
an expensive article. In many families it is the
custom to preserve the bones that are collected in
the kitchen after a meal. When a sufficient quan-
tity is obtained, they are put into a pan provided
for the purpose, and some lie, made from wood
ashes, is poured upon them. The pan being placed
near the fire, if the lie is of sufficient strength to