The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-09-02
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ROADSIDE ORCHARDS.
Europe Has Many of Them Which are
Source of Public Revenue.

ROADSIDE ORCHARDS.
Europe Has Many of Them which are a
Source of Public Revenue.
Land is not yet so rare in this country
that we are obliged to cultivate that
along the borders of our highways, but
the time is not far distant when condi-
tions here in this respect will more
nearly approximate those of other
countries than they do at present, and
thrift of some of those ''effete despot-
isms." In an article in La Nature
paris, March 14), Emmanuel Ratouin
tells how the roadsides in many parts of
Germany have been made to yield a
rich return to the state or to municipali-
ties by being planted with fruit trees.
We translate part of his article below:
"In foreign countries orchards of
fruit trees along the roads have given
the best results. In Wurtemburg, Sax
ony, Bavaria, Hanover, the grand duchy
of Luxembourg and in Austria the fruit
tree roads have brought in important
sums to the treasury. In Saxony the
fruit tree budget is especially satisfac-
tory, and the benefits realized by the
state under this have been estimated at
nearly 100000 francs ($400,O0O) for the
last fourteen years.
''In Wurtemberg the planting of for
est trees along the roads has been en-
tirely given up. A law has been passed
applying to all fruit orchards and sys-
tematizing their working. The owner
of the neighboring land takes charge Of
the orchard and the road officials see to
their protection and care. This serv-
ice is very well organized and does its
work economically. 1t has been estab-
lisLed under almost identical condition
in the Palatinate and in Bavaria. In
these localities each loadman has his
corresponding 'sylvicultor.' Every IA
cility is given to these agents for in
creasing their agricultural knowledge.
They are placed under the surveillance
of rural inspectors, who direct their la
bors. This special corps is recruited, in
part, by competition. These road
sylvicultors' pass an examination and
follow courses of instruction. They
sometimes are given the necessary
"The course of study that is offered at
Landschule, in Basse Riviere, has given
the opportunity of enlisting men es-
pecially adapted for the care of trees.
In Austria, Moravia and Bohemia the
orchard roads, which are very numer-
Gus, are in general planted with plum
trees. In these fertile plains there are
orchards of considerable size along the
borders of the roads. The trees are
set about six meters 10 2-3 feet) apart;
they are the object of exceptional care,
and it is not rare to see, especially in
the region of Hradisch, young apple
trees covered with straw up to the
middle of their trunks. The old apple
trees are carefully cleaned and painted
with whitewash to preserve them from
moss and from fungoid growths. AT
Dressing, in Moravia, along the roads
the acacia alternates with the cherry
and the apple.
"In the Tyrol, where the culture Of
fruit trees is highly appreciated, the
road orchards are numerous. 1t is not
unusual to find in these regions, es-
pecially at Hoffgarten, orchards of 1000
to 5000 apple and pear trees. And not
only are the carriage roads utilized
thus, but the railway companies have
fallen into line. Many of them have
planted the edges of their embank-
ments and the spaces left between their
tracks and the neighboring properties.
1.-THE efforts made by foreign nations
in this matter of road orchards can
scarcely be described without speaking
of the grand duchy of Luxembourg,
which is the chosen land of the fruit
tree. The efforts made by the govern
ments of the grand duchy to develop
fruit culture are most interesting and
remarkable. Nowhere have resources
been better employed and encourage
ments better distributed. The state has
established an agricultural service,
which has for its special object the fos-
tering of agricultural work and the di-
rection and execution of most of such
public work as the planting of fruit
trees, drainage, irrigation, experiment
stations, the establishment of roads,
etc."-Literary Digest.