192 THE POSSIBILITIES 



acre, and yet it has been increased since, as well 

 as the gross receipts, which were valued by 

 Courtois Gerard at 240 per acre for the larger 

 market-gardeners, and twice as much for the 

 smaller ones in which early vegetables are grown 

 in frames. 



The fruit culture in the neighbourhoods of 

 Paris is equally wonderful. At Montreuil, for 

 instance, 750 acres, belonging to 400 gar- 

 deners, are literally covered with stone walls, 

 specially erected for growing fruit, and having 

 an aggregate length of 400 miles. Upon these 

 walls, peach trees, pear trees and vines are 

 spread, and every year something like 12,000,000 

 peaches are gathered, as well as a considerable 

 amount of the finest pears and grapes. The 

 acre in such conditions brings in 56. This is 

 how a " warmer climate " was made, at a 

 time when the greenhouse was still a costly 

 luxury. All taken, 1,250 acres are given to 

 peaches (25,000,000 peaches every year) hi the 

 close neighbourhood of Paris. Acres and acres 

 are also covered with pear trees which yield 

 three to five tons of fruit per acre, such crop 

 being sold at from 50 to 60. Nay, at Angers, 

 on the Loire, where pears are eight days in 

 advance of the suburbs of Paris, Baltet knows 

 an orchard of five acres, covered with pears 

 (pyramid trees), which brings in 400 every 



