122 



VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



Lime or Linden Tree Tilia e,nrupea. 



which they are cut down. To every pair of shoes 

 from two to four young linden-stems are requisite. 

 In winter the boor wears his platted shoes, it may 

 be ten, but in the working season scarcely more than 

 four days. In the whole year, therefore, he wears 

 out at least fifty pair, to the making thereof, if we 

 take a middle number, 150 young linden-stems are 

 demolished. A fresh linden-shoot, in moist places, 

 is not fit for peeling, to apply to the purpose of plat- 

 ting into shoes in less time than three years ; on a 

 firmer soil it takes longer. Accordingly the linden- 

 wood is constantly diminishing faster than it grows. 

 The benefit arising to the boors from the making 

 of these mat shoes cannot be considerable, as they 

 are very cheap in parts where there is linden enough. 

 If the countryman would employ the time he spends 

 in this in some other trades in woo,d, while he was 

 benefiting the country he would be also increasing 

 his private gains*." 



The inner bark of the linden, known in this 

 * Tooke's View of the Russain Empire, &c, vol. iii, p. 126. 



