EUCALYPTUS TEEES. 113 



from ground under my control for the last twelve 

 years. I should think it not unlikely that this rais- 

 ing of trees in masses will soon become also a special 

 object of attention to the railway department, within 

 its own areas, to re-supply its own wants. 



While a divine may withdraw some of his slender 

 means, or a teacher may devote a share of his scanty 

 earning, to inclose the ground of his dwelling, with 

 a view of protecting a few trees on spots not really 

 their own, we may be sure that the authorities do 

 not wish to see hundreds of miles of railway fences 

 long left unutilized, so far as planting of trees is con- 

 cerned, particularly as such fences for this purpose 

 afford 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 N. E. Railway line will be one hundred and 

 eighty-five miles, giving, consequently, three hundred 

 and seventy 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 Cork Oak, the 

 Elm, the Ash, the Totara, the Chestnut - tree, the 

 Walnut, the Hickory, and many others which do not 

 suffer from exposure j for while the railway loan will 

 last for an indefinite period, the railway material, 

 such as the fences, sleepers, cars, will not last forever, 

 and for these the wood might thus inexpensively 

 become re -available in due time. Even where the 

 railway space is narrow the operation of lopping the 



