26 JULY 1940, Page 12

Lime Flowers Of one of the medicinal herbs mentioned last

week it is pleasant to recall that Gilbert White, exactly one hundred and fifty years ago this week, had something to say:

"Lime-trees are fragrant" (he wrote on July 25th, 1790), "the golden tassels are beautiful. Dr. Chandler tells us that in the South of France an infusion of the blossoms of the lime-tree, tilia, is in much esteem as a remedy for coughs, hoarseness, fevers, &c. and that at Nismes he saw an avenue of limes that was quite ravaged and torn to pieces by people gathering the bloom, which they dried and kept for their purposes. Upon the strength of this information we made some tea of lime-blossoms, and found it a very soft, well- flavoured, pleasant saccharine julep, in taste much resembling the juice of liquorice."

Lime seeds also make an excellent pickle ; the method is the same

as that for nasturtium seeds.