Thanks, Peter, that add more to the story. The Wikipedia entry for Archangel [Arkhangelsk] mentions that the area is a center for the timber industry (but limes, Tilia, are not mentioned). Something funny: when I checked the Wikipedia entry, the side bar seemed be giving the current temperature in Archangel: 27 degrees F. The current temperature here in Maryland is 25 degrees F! Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, evidently colder right now than the shores of the White Sea over 1750 miles north of here. On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 5:58 PM, Peter Franks <peter.scaevola@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Jim & Peter The reference to Archangel may come from the name of a northern region of Russia called Arkhangelskaya Oblast which has a coastline on the Arctic Ocean. The capital of this region we know as Archangel [Arkhangelsk in Russian] Do lime trees grow that far north? Peter in Sydney -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Peter Taggart Sent: Wednesday, 12 February 2014 9:45 AM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: Re: [pbs] archangel mat it is a mat for protecting frames from frost in spring, it measures 5 feet by 8 feet. see here, page 94 https://archive.org/details/… Peter (UK) On 11 February 2014 22:30, Peter Taggart <petersirises@gmail.com> wrote: > A *mat*, made in Russia, from the inner bark of Lime trees, used for > covering garden *frames* to keep out frost. *...* Greenhouse *plants* of > slender growth, with brightly-coloured, funnel-shaped *flowers* in > summer; they are suitable in cultivation in *...* > > > On 11 February 2014 22:13, Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net>wrote: > >> Can anyone tell me what an archangel mat is? I ran across the term in a >> British gardening book published in the early 1950s: the way the author >> wrote, it seems that by that time they were already becoming uncommon. They >> were recommended for covering cold frames in severe weather. >> Is the term an old generic term for some sort of floor mat? >> >>