47 



much ready inducement. The average width of the railway 

 area is two and a-half chains, both on the Ballarat and Echuca 

 lines, therefore far wider than that of European lines, and 

 spacious enough for tree plantations at least of some kinds . 

 The length of the KE. Railway line will be 185 miles, giving 

 consequently 370 miles length for plantations. The slower- 

 growing or less lofty trees would there be on their place, such 

 as our red-gum tree, the iron-bark tree, the W. A. yarrah, the 

 blackwood tree, the British oak, the Quebec and live oak, 

 the corkoak, the elm, the ash, the totara, the chestnut tree, the 

 walnut, the hickory, and many others which do not suffer from 

 exposure ; for while the railway loan will last for an indefinite 

 period, the railway material, such as the fences, sleepers, cars, 

 will not last for ever, and for these the wood might thus 

 inexpensively become reavailable in due time. Even where 

 the railway space is narrow, the operation of lopping the 

 planted trees along its lines might most readily be resorted to, 

 and dangerous encroachments thereby be avoided. 



No one ever expected our most serviceable Railway Depart- 

 ment to be burdened with the additional heavy task of 

 entering on cultural pursuits, and I see no way of attaining 

 the object here specially indicated unless purposely financial 

 means and administrative organisations were provided by the 

 State. 



In a special work (Die Bepflanzung der EisenbaJin Damme, 

 &c., by E. Lucas, second edition, 1870), the methods adopted 

 in Germany for utilising the railway dams, and the free space 

 within railway fences, for wood and fruit culture, is amply 

 discussed. With the increasing value of culture-land, this 

 question of utilising the spare ground along railways becomes 

 more and more important. Where the space proves too 

 narrow for rearing timber trees, hazel, olives, figs, mulberries, 

 almonds, osiers, sumach, myall, ricinus, blackberries, and such 

 other lower trees or bushes as require no great attention, could 

 doubtless be grown with profit. It might also be possible to 

 establish advantageously permanent hedges of hawthorn, 

 opuntias, Osage orange, and other not readily inflammable 

 and easily managed bushes. Luzern and sainfoin are much 

 cultivated along continental railway lines as fodder herbs. 



In North America 650 walnuts or hickories are planted 

 on an acre; though standing so close, they are worth twelve 

 shillings in twenty years for a variety of purposes. If wanted 

 for heavy timber or nuts, they are thinned out so as to 



