326 Telephones in Rural Districts. [july, 



bushel varied from is. 6d. in 1891 to 35. 6d. in 1890. The 

 average price per half-bushel for the 24 years is is. nfd. 



Pears. — The 29 pear trees in 22 years yielded 1,009 halves, 

 selling for £gs 12s. 3d., an average per tree of 35. yearly. 

 The maximum yield was 230 halves, selling for ,£18 55. in 

 1909. The price varied from is. 6d. per half-bushel in 1893 

 to 2S. nd. in 1889; average price for the 22 years, is. lod. per 

 half-bushel. 



Plums. — The 96 plums yielded in 12 years 436 halves, value 

 ,£47 125., an average of 36 halves per annum, selling for 

 ygs. qd. The maximum crop was 137 halves in 1908, selling 

 for £10 gs. 6d. The price varied from is. i\d. per half in 

 1909 to 35. 4^. in 1884, tne average for the 12 years being 

 2S. 2d. 



The two walnut trees in 29 years yielded 659 half-bushels, 

 selling for £66 10s. 6d., average of nearly 23 halves per 

 annum, selling for £2 55. 9 d. The largest yield was 48 

 halves, which fetched £5 45. 6d. in 1897. The price varied 

 from is. i\d. per half in 1909 to 3s. qd. in 1884, average 

 price for the 29 years 2s. per half-bushel. 



The Board desire to draw the attention of farmers and 



residents in rural districts to the following circular which has 



been issued by the General Post Office, 



Telephones in explaining the advantages of the rural 

 Rural Districts. , , 



telephone system, and the terms on 



which telephones can now be provided in rural districts : — 



Residents in rural districts are apt to think that a telephone 

 is a luxury of town life which it is impossible to enjoy in the 

 country except at a high cost. This is true if each person 

 requires a separate exchange line, consisting of two wires 

 over the whole distance between the exchange and his resi- 

 dence, to be provided for his exclusive use, but such a line 

 is not necessary in order to enjoy most of the advantages of 

 the telephone service. If a sufficient number of subscribers 

 living on or near a country road leading to a town where 

 there is a telephone exchange will agree to use one line, they 

 can telephone as much as they please to people on that 

 exchange for the moderate fixed charge of ,£3 a year. 



