Soil-Binders 57 



avalanche, but it has also been found possible to stop 

 formidable snow-drifts by means of rose trees ! 



In the wide plains of South Hunp^ary, where the 

 wind has nothing to break its force, the railway lines 

 are often in winter blocked with snow-drifts, which 

 there seemed to be no means of preventing, until in 

 one part the experiment was tried of planting hedges 

 of Provence roses on each side. The hedges are 

 of the height of a tall man, and the lines were kept 

 clear during some exceptionally heavy falls of snow a 

 few years ago where they were invariably blocked 

 before. 



On the south-west coast of France there is an 

 extensive sandy region known as the Landes, which at 

 one time seemed likely to be converted into a veritable 

 Sahara, and was saved from this fate by nothing else 

 but the planting of pines. 



It is a sandy region still, and the fine dust arising 

 from it in windy weather gives it the appearance of 

 being overhung with clouds. The sand rattles inces- 

 santly against the carriage-windows as the train 

 advances southwards; but in the last century the 

 sand-dunes were always in motion, constantly changing 

 their places, ebbing and flowing like the tide, but 

 creeping gradually further and further inland. When 

 the storm-wind blew from the west it caught up 

 the sand and scattered it over the adjacent country, 

 where it fell like volcanic ashes, doing equal damage 

 and none of the good, for it consists to a large extent 

 of fine white quartz, the most hopelessly barren sand 

 there is. 



In ancient times this district is said to have been 

 fairly well covered with oak woods, remains of which 



