118 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



beautiful than I had hitherto witnessed in any town, either in 

 France, Flanders, or Germany." In this country, the Euro- 

 pean lime is also much planted in our cities ; and some ave- 

 nues of it may be seen in Philadelphia, particularly before 

 the State-house in Chestnut-street. The bass wood is a very 

 abundant tree in some parts of the middle states, and is seen 

 growing in great profusion, forming thick woods by itself, in 

 the interior of this state. In this country, the wood is consid- 

 ered too soft to be of much value, but in England it was for- 

 merly in high repute as an excellent material for the use of 

 carvers. Some very beautiful specimens of old carving in 

 lime wood, may be seen, it is said, in Windsor Castle and 

 Trinity College.* The Russian bass mats, which find their 

 way to every commercial country, are prepared from the 

 inner bark of this tree. The sap affords a sugar like the ma- 

 ple, although in less quantities; and it is stated in the Ency- 

 clop5edia of Plants, (p. 467,) " that the honey made from the 

 flowers of the lime tree is reckoned the finest in the world. 

 Near Knowno, in Lithuania, there are large forests chiefly of 

 this tree, and probably a distinct variety. The honey pro- 

 duced in these forests sells at more than double the price of 

 any other, and is used extensively in medicine and for li- 

 queurs." 



The leaves of the lime are large and handsome, heart- 



* "The art of carving in wood, brought to such perfection byGibbons, isnow, 

 we believe, much given up ; therefore, the Hme has lost a most important branch 

 of its usefulness. Perhaps the finest specimens of the works of Gibbons are to be 

 seen at Chatsworth, the seat of t'lo duke of Devonshire, in Derbyshire. The 

 execution of the flowers, fish, game, nets, etc, on the panelling of the walls, is 

 quite wonderful. It was of him that Walpole justly said, ' that he was the first 

 artist who gave to wood the loose and airy lightness of flowers, and chained 

 together the various productions of the elements, with a free disorder natural to 

 each species.' The lime tree is still however used by the carver, and we hope 

 that the art of wood carving may gradually be restored." — Sir T.D.Lander. 



