Sweden's Railway Gardens.

A writer in an Irish contemporary, who appears to have visited Sweden last summer waxes enthusiastic on the subject of railway station gardens, and dilates interestingly on those he came across during his sojourn in that country. At every station, he reports, as well as every signalman's cottage, a garden is laid out at the expense of the State Railways, which also send out special gardening inspectors to advise. In addition, he states, the railway administration has taken wild birds under its protection by putting up no less than 12,000 feeding perches in the trees adjacent to the railway lines. Several different types of perches have been used to suit the tastes of the varied species of birds. The railwaymen are reported to be taking a keen interest in the new activity, and propose to send delegates to a congress for the study of the life of song birds. It is also the intention of the railway authorities to introduce bee-keeping at any early date among their employees—a fact which prompts the aforesaid writer to remark, not without reason, that the life of the “Swedish railway official will presently be one of considerable idyllic attraction.”

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