Chap. XXIV.] 



FRUIT CULTURE. 



435 



4.V feet out of the ground, with four pieces of straight wire nailed 

 to the outer side ; between the posts four long, thin sticks are 

 tied diagonally ; the fencing is then covered with cordon Apples 

 and Pears of the most suitable kinds for market and. other 

 purposes, the Apples being worked upon the Paradise stock. 

 They arc planted in front of and between each post, and trained 



obliquely to the sticks fastened to the wires. The trees appeared 

 healthy, short-jointed, well-trained, and likely to be very pro- 

 ductive. I could not help thinking of the thousands of once 

 fruitful acres which the railways in this country have thrown out 

 of cultivation and the desirability of devising some plan for 

 reclaiming and turning to profitable account some part of this 

 lost inheritance. I know there are great difficulties in the way ; 

 these may be thought too formidable to be surmounted, but 

 wliero tlio iron road passes through a flat country, and one 





Railway Fence furnished with Fruit-trees. 



suitable for fruit-cultivation, there are always portions of land on 

 each side, and often corners and triangular pieces hitherto left 

 waste, and I cannot help thinking they might be made useful in 

 helping to furnish some of the food required for the support of 

 our people. — W. N." 



Ornamental Pear-trees. — As this book was going througli the 



