Tilia 1673 



Timber 



The wood of the lime is pale yellow or white, light, soft, and close-grained, and 

 is not liable to become worm-eaten. It was formerly valued by pianoforte-makers for 

 sounding-boards ; and cutting boards used by shoemakers, glovers, and harness- 

 makers, were made of it. I am informed by Mr. Anderson that twenty-five years 

 ago he was sometimes able to sell the best part of large trees at as much as 5s. 

 or 6s. p*r foot ; and at Longleat a large lime tree blown down in the park realised 

 4s. 6d. per foot ; but its use has now been superseded by foreign imports from 

 America and elsewhere, and from one to two shillings per foot is its usual value. 

 Owing to its softness, consistency, and non-liability to split, it was preferred for wood- 

 carving ; and all the finest carvings by Grinling Gibbons are said to be done in lime 

 wood. 1 



In northern Europe, especially in Russia, the inner bark of the small-leaved and 

 large-leaved limes is largely used for making the bast mats which are used as 

 dunnage in grain cargoes, and also imported for covering garden frames. The shoes 

 worn by the Russian peasants are made from plaited lime bark, and Loudon says 

 that ropes were made from it in his time in Devonshire and Cornwall ; but this, like 

 so many other rural industries, has now, I believe, quite died out. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. Rose, of Messrs. Broadwood & Sons, for the 

 following : " Fine lime-tree was at one time very eagerly sought after in this country 

 for the manufacture of pianoforte keys. When large and freely grown it is a beauti- 

 fully straight and silky-grained wood, easily worked, not given to warping, very light in 

 weight, and yet very tough. These qualities made it an admirable material for the 

 purpose. But it became more and more difficult to obtain lime-tree of fine quality, 

 and it was replaced by the importation of American basswood, a wood of similar 

 character, easier to obtain in good sizes, free from knots, and straight in the grain, 

 which is imported in the form of boards, or of glued-up and planed keyboards ready 

 for the ivories. It has also been replaced, in part, for key-making by continental- 

 grown pine, which has distinct advantages for the purpose." 



A marked feature in the timber trade in recent years has been the importation 

 of sawn timber, which has greatly affected the sale of home-grown timber. The 

 manufacturer is now supplied with foreign timber ready sawn, seasoned to some 

 extent, and often carefully graded ; whereas home-grown timber has to be collected 

 in comparatively small parcels, and its selection and handling require a great amount 

 of knowledge and experience possessed by a very few persons. (H. J. E.) 



1 Evelyn (Si/va, Hunter's ed. i. 205 (1801)), says : "Because of its colour and easy working, and that it is not subject to 

 split, architects make with it models for their designed buildings ; and the carvers in wood use it not only for small figures, 

 but for large statues and entire histoiies in bass and high relieve ; witness beside several more the festoons, fruitages, and 

 other sculptures of admirable invention and performance, to be seen about the choir of St. Paul's and other churches, royal 

 palaces, and noble houses in city and country ; all of them the works and invention of our Lysippus, Mr. Gibbons, comparable, 

 and for ought appears equal to anything of the antients. Having had the honour (for so I account it) to be the first who 

 recommended this great artist to his Majesty Charles II., I mention it on this occasion with much satisfaction." 



