Tilia 1667 



the small-leaved lime was fertile, possibly because it flowers later than the other. A 

 small proportion of this seed germinated in the first spring, but most of it lay 

 dormant till the following year, and this has been my experience with many sowings 

 of seed from abroad of the various European forms, as well as of the American lime. 

 After germination they grow slowly for the first two years, and the young wood 

 is liable to be killed back in winter. For this reason layering is the method adopted 

 by nurserymen, though the varieties are usually grafted. I cannot say that my 

 experience is as yet long enough to justify me in preferring seedlings.^ 



With regard to soil, the lime is not particular, but requires a good deep loam to 

 bring it to perfection. It transplants very well, and may, if properly prepared by 

 cutting round the roots two years previously, be safely moved when 20 to 30 ft. high. 



Owing to the depreciated value of the timber, the lime cannot now be recom- 

 mended except as an ornamental tree, the principal objection to it for this purpose 

 being the early period at which its leaves wither and fall in autumn. 



Lime Avenues 



The common lime is one of the most valuable avenue trees that we have ; the 

 fashion for planting them is, however, not very ancient, having apparently been 

 introduced by Le Notre and other French landscape gardeners in the latter half of 

 the seventeenth century, from which period most of our best avenues date. 



Of these one of the finest is the avenue at Burghley Park, Stamford, the seat of 

 the Marquess of Exeter. This is about 3000 yards long, with four rows of trees 

 planted 6 yards apart in the row, 10 yards between the two outer rows and 20 yards 

 between the inner ones. The trees are 100 ft. to no ft. in height on an average, 

 and all appear to have been pollarded when young, though they have the upright 

 habit which distinguishes most of the older lime avenues. I was informed by Mr. 

 C. Richardson, of Stamford, that about fifty-five years ago — when lime wood was 

 much more valuable than it now is, and made 5s. to 6s. per foot, single trees being 

 sometimes sold at ;^40 to ;i^5o — an offer was made by a syndicate of London timber 

 merchants to buy the whole of this avenue for ;^ioo,ooo. This story appears hardly 

 credible, and I could obtain no verification ; but, if made, the offer was refused, and 

 there is no chance of such a price being paid for lime trees now. 



Another beautiful avenue of fine tall limes is at Stratton Park, Hants, the seat 

 of the Earl of Northbrook, whose late father informed me that it probably dates from 

 about 1 7 15. This avenue shows a common defect, which consists in the mass of 

 spray that springs from some point usually near the root, though sometimes at 10 

 to 20 ft. up the trees, or even higher. I have searched in vain the works of Evelyn, 

 Duhamel, Miller, Boutcher, and Loudon, for any reference to these abnormal growths, 



1 T. flatyphyllos is usually imported from France as seedlings ; and these appear to thrive in some cases better than 

 plants of the common lime, which have been raised from layers. A young avenue of T. platyphyllos at Terling, Essex, with 

 trees about 30 ft. high, is very thriving. The lime avenue at the back of Trinity College, Cambridge, which was celebrated 

 by Tennyson, consists of two parts. That on the west side of the Cam now consists of 38 common limes, one half of which 

 are very burry and much decayed, gaps showing where a few have died. These trees, which now average 6 ft. 9 in. in girth, 

 were planted in 1671, at a cost of ;^io : 6s., plus carriage from London amounting to £\ : 4s. On the east side of the Cam 

 there are 20 trees, all but one of which are T. platyphyllos. These, which now average 6 ft. in girth, were planted in 17 17, 

 and look much healthier than the others. Cf. Willis and Clarke, Archil. Hist. Univ. Camb. ii. 641, 646 (1886). — A. H, 



