Fruit-growing on Railway Embankments. 



'79 



HORIZONTAL PEAR-TREE WITH BENT 

 BRANCHLETS. It is not uncommon in Eng- 

 lish gardens to train the branches of the 

 pyramid pear in a pendulous fashion ; and it 

 is a system admired by some, though some- 

 what more troublesome to form than the 

 simple pyramid. Fig. 55 represents a mode 

 of applying a modification of the same prin- 

 ciple to the ordinary horizontally trained 

 pear-tree. I do not say that it is as good as 

 it is graceful in appearance, believing as I do 

 in simple easily-conducted forms, but as these 

 smaller arching branches may be established 

 on kinds that bear on the young wood, and 

 with the branches rather thinly placed, it may 

 prove useful, and is worthy of a trial. The 



mode of formation is so simple and easily \>L] 



established that no further description is 

 needed. However, I cannot say too often 

 that the simple and quickly-formed trees, 

 described elsewhere, are as excellent for 

 walls as for trellises, combining as they do 

 the advantages claimed for the cordons with 

 a not too contracted, repressed development. 



FRUIT-GROWING ON RAILWAY EMBANK- 

 MENTS. Notwithstanding the scarcity and 

 high price of fruit in our towns, it is quite 

 clear that there are many surfaces now ut- 

 terly useless that would grow it in profusion 

 and perfection. Many a spot worthless for 

 ordinary cropping would yield capital fruit 

 if judiciously planted. There is wall sur- f.^^ ^ 

 face now naked which would, if properly 

 covered with fruit-trees, yield as much as FIG. 54. 



N 2 



