TIL 
TIL 
approach to an anti-social feeling, it will 
he generally confessed there are times 
when we could desire to be unobserved, 
and perhaps never more so than when, 
unbending from the severe duties of life, 
recreation is sought among the fairest of 
inanimate forms,—our flowers ; here it is 
the linden may be made a valuable aid. 
High walls and fences are decidedly in¬ 
tolerable, especially when bounding a 
narrow parallelogram, but a row of limes 
on either side will wear a pleasing aspect, 
afford a most effectual and agreeable 
screen both to scorching sun and cutting 
winds, admitting, at the same time, an 
uninterrupted current of air, while ill- 
mannered curiosity receives a check, 
against which it can neither complain nor 
revolt. With these trees an impermeable 
blind may be soon effected of any desired 
height, without encroaching on the space 
required for other things, as they may 
be trained and trimmed flat like a hedge, 
and the more often they are pruned, the 
closer and more densely clothed the 
branches become, and thus in a few years 
the garden will become as completely 
isolated as though situated in the most 
rural district, while its capacity for cul¬ 
tural purposes is scarcely or at all im¬ 
peded. 
As an avenue tree the lime was some 
years back extensively employed, and a 
few instances of its noble appearance yet 
remain, among the most remarkable of 
which, is the long carriage drive at 
Cobham Hall, near Rochester; a number 
of grand specimens are here seen clothed 
with the richest verdure all the summer, 
and nearly as green in the winter, by 
reason of the uncommon quantity of 
mistletoe which flourishes upon them. 
This mode of planting: having; fallen into 
disuse, the only cases in which we find 
the lime so stationed in the present day, 
is aloug the sides of our modern "groves’ 
and £ retreats,’ as it is now the fashion to 
call a row of villa residences fronted by 
a corresponding line of these trees : and 
certainly the proprietors of such places 
could not employ more pleasing or 
legitimate means in the embellishment of 
their property, or one more likely to be 
grateful to the occupiers, who for the 
most escaping from the turmoil of tire 
city, are refreshed beyond description by 
the bright verdure thus appertaining to 
their homes, and we could only wish to 
see the ^practice yet more extensively 
carried out, and sufficient care taken of 
the trees while young to preserve them 
from the mutilations of wilful mischief 
but too frequently observable. Employed 
in this way, the trees should be planted 
on the outside of the pathway, in pre¬ 
ference to the more usual place in the 
fore-courts of the houses, where they are 
objectionable on account of interrupting 
the free passage of light and air to the 
rooms, and also because if allowed to 
spread and assume their natural form, 
they prevent the growth of flowering 
plants which should occupy these small 
gardens; while in the situation recom¬ 
mended, no reasonable objection can be 
urged against them, if care is taken to 
select such as have tall stems, and to keep 
them properly pruned hi their subsequent 
growth, so as to preserve the required 
head-room. Large trees by the side of 
a road are always objectionable, because 
of the damage occasioned by drip, and 
therefore oaks, elms, and similar kinds 
are unsuitable, as they attain too large a 
size, but the lime may be cut back without 
injury, so as to prevent the least mischief. 
The timber of the lime-tree is highly 
esteemed for the finer works of the 
carver, the musical-instrument maker, 
the turner, and for lining boards. It 
makes the best of charcoal, for which 
purpose it is preferred even to alder, and 
painters’ scriblets are manufactured from 
it. In a recent state it is soft, light, and 
close-grained, and when dry becomes 
harder, but is never subject to the worm. 
By maceration, the bark separates into 
thin layers, and those of the soft inside 
coats are made into mats, and form a 
considerable article of Russian commerce, 
from whence most of those used in 
gardens and for packing are obtained. 
Ropes are also made of the fibres of the 
bark, and the inspissated sap procured 
from living trees affords sugar, but not 
in quantity sufficient to remunerate the 
trouble. Bast mats may and have been 
made in England from native trees, but the 
