TREES OF AMERICA. 213 



peas, but harder. The flowers are said to 

 have some good medicinal properties. The 

 bark is remarkably thick, and so fibrous or 



' 



stringy that it can be made into ropes like 

 hemp. In some parts of Europe, well-ropes 

 are made of it. The wood is white and soft, 

 and works very easily: it is mostly used by 

 carvers in wood. Cabinet-makers prefer it 

 for making drawers, and such things ; they 

 generally call it bass-wood. Common wooden 

 chairs are made of it, too, as are the little wooden 

 toys that are made for children, such as images 

 of cows, and horses, and monkeys ; you have 

 seen them, I dare say. 



" The white lime differs from the bass-wood 

 in size, being only about half as large, and in 

 its bark, which is silver gray and quite smooth : 

 the leaves, too, are much larger, and of a 

 darker green on the upper side ; on the under 

 side they are almost white : the flowers are 

 larger, too, and have a very pleasant smell : 

 in other respects, this kind of lime is exactly 

 like the other. 



" The third kind is called the downy lirne, 

 from the under side of the leaves being cov- 

 ered with a very thick coat of fine soft down 

 or furze. They are almost round, and pointed 



