422 OBSERVATIONS ON VEGETABLES, 
CHESTNUT TIMBER. 
John Carpenter brings home some old chestnut trees which are 
very long; in several places the wood-peckers had begun to bore 
them. The timber and bark of these trees are so very like oak, as 
might easily deceive an indifferent observer, but the wood is very 
shaky, and towards the heart cup-shaky (that is to say, apt to 
separate in round pieces like cups), so that the inward parts are of 
no use. They are bought for the purpose of cooperage, but must 
make but ordinary barrels, buckets, &c. Chestnut sells for half 
the price of oak; but has sometimes been sent into the king’s 
docks, and passed off instead of oak.— WHITE. 
LIME BLOSSOMS. 
Dr. Chandler tells that in the south of France an infusion of the 
blossoms of the lime tree, 7z/za, is in much esteem as a remedy 
for coughs, hoarsenesses, fevers, &c., and that at Nismes, he saw 
an avenue of limes that was quite ravaged and torn in pieces by 
people greedily gathering the bloom, which they dried and kept for 
these purposes. 
Upon the strength of this information we made some tea of 
lime blossoms, and found it a very soft, well-flavoured, pleasant, 
saccharine julep, in taste much resembling the juice of liquorice.— 
WHITE. 
BLACKTHORN. 
This tree usually blossoms while cold north-east winds blow ; so 
that the harsh rugged weather obtaining at this season is called by 
the country people blackthorn winter.— WHITE. 
IVY BERRIES. 
Ivy berries form a noble and providential supply for birds in 
winter and spring ; for the first severe frost freezes and spoils all 
the haws, sometimes by the middle of November; ivy berries do 
not seem to freeze. —WHITE. 
