December 10, ISflB. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



i55 



GROWING SHRUBS AS STANDARDS, 



HERE is a host of plants in most shrubberies 

 so prone to throw up suckers that they form 

 a wilderness, especially at this time of year, 

 constitutinf;, indeed, a cage to catch the leaves 

 as they fall, and thus occasioning no little 

 trouble in taking these out. But this annoy- 

 ance may easily be avoided. 



Standard Lilacs, including the Persian 

 Lilac, are very handsome when without the 

 profusion of suckers which they are so prone 

 to throw forth, and they are the easiest to grow as standards, 

 except the snowball-bearing Gueldres Rose, which will 

 make tlie most handsome standard imaginable. In good 

 soil an old plant cut down will throw up suckers 7 or H feet 

 high, with hardly a side branch. This and the common 

 Lilac often throw up suckers, even without the old plants 

 being cut down, sufficiently long to make such standards, 

 but unless they are well disbudded, and rings of bark cut 

 out, their natural tendency to produce suckers can never 

 be effectually checked. 



Ringing the bottoms to facilitate the emission of roots 

 must be done at, or a little after, midsummer ; for if you 

 ring them any time in April or May, and cover the cut 

 parts, a communication is soon formed by a new layer of 

 bark. It was on a large stool of the Lilac, with eleven 

 strong suckers, and another of the common Privet, with 

 eight suckers, that I lirst discovered that spring ringing 

 has little influence in arresting the circulation, and I was 

 rather surprised at the fact ; but so it was, and as the 

 whole went through my own hands I could not be mis- 

 taken. On refeiTing to such authorities as I could then 

 consult, I discovered nothing relating to tliis early ringing, 

 and as to the theory of the practice I need not speculate 

 now. 



The common Syringa, Philadelphus coronarius,is another 

 deciduous rambling shrub as prone to throw up suckers as 

 the Lilac, but treated as standards it forms beautiful little 

 trees, and the troublesome habit of producing a host of 

 suckers is got rid of. They make elegant little trees like 

 standard Roses for forcing in the spring. There are two other 

 plants of this genus which ought to be in every shrubbery 

 either as standards or huge bushes ; their names are the 

 Warted and the Broad leaved Philadelphus. These tliree 

 flower early in summer. There is another species which 

 does not flower till July, and on that account is valuable ; 

 besides that, it is a very handsome shrub — its name is Phi- 

 ladelphus Gordonianus. In their natural mode of growth 

 these shrubs are little lietterthan a Raspberry bush — indeed, 

 they are more troublesome than ornamental ; but train 

 them as standards, and one could hardly beheve how well 

 they look. 



The Berberry makes a handsome standard, but how 

 seldom is it tried in that form, being only allowed to form 

 a tliicket of scrambling suckers, choking up the shrubbery 

 like other plants of the same habit ; yet when roared upon 

 a clean stnfijht stem, .5 or fJ leet high, it forms a very 

 interesting little tree, partioularlj- while in fruit. There is 

 No. 402.-VOL. XV., New Szkies. 



another species called the Asiatic Berberry, which, if pos- 

 sible, is a still more interesting little tree, bearing bunches 

 of purple berries in autumn. I have heard it highly re- 

 commended for underwood in plantations, for the purposes 

 of sheltering and feeding game, for which use I think it 

 well adapted: for no poacher could force his way tlnough 

 a thicket of it, as it spreads from the roots as much as the 

 common Blackthorn. There are many other Berberries 

 which, I think, would answer well as standards. I imagine 

 it would be worth while to try some of the newer kinds of 

 Berberry as standards, for I have not as yet seen any of 

 them grown in that form. Perhaps others wUl give their 

 experience on the subject. 



The old Corchorus japonicus, or, as it is now called, 

 Kerria japonica. with double yellow flowers, maybe seen 

 in every old garden in the country, gro-ning after the man- 

 ner of the Raspberry, but it would make a singularly ' 

 beautiful standard if the stem did not rise above 4 or 

 5 feet high. The long slender branches first grow per- 

 pendicularly, and then bend over gracefully lilre plumes of 

 feathers, and when in full blossom the weight of the flowers 

 bears down the branches till their points nearly sweep the 

 ground. 



The genus Spiraea furnishes a host of plants which pro- 

 duce suckers in such numbers as to destroy each other. 

 I never tried any of the species, nor saw them trietl by 

 others as low standards, but I am quite satisfied a great 

 reformation could be made in their culture by getting rid 

 of the suckers, and rearing the plants with single stems 

 from 2 to 5 feet high, according to the growth. Spirrea 

 Liudleyana treated as a low standard would form one of 

 the handsomest plants that one could place out on the 

 grass, and when not in flower might be mistaken for a 

 Sumach tree. 



Speaking of Indian shrubs, where could one find a better 

 subject for a handsome standard than the beautiful Leyces- 

 teria of Dr. Wallich? It is a softwooded shrub, which 

 caused a considerable amount of heartburning in this 

 country some years ago. not having proved what it was at 

 lirst reported to be, and is already almost neglected. It, 

 too. never does well if allowed to take its own mode of 

 growth, but elevate its handsome foliage, and its pendent 

 clusters of flowers and fruit, on a clean stem 6 feet high, 

 and I believe it will create a sensation in the neighbour- 

 hood. The plant has no English name that I am aware of, 

 but commemorates William Leycester, formerly Cliief .Judge 

 of the Bengal Presidency. 



A book might be written on the subject of standard shrubs, 

 and not exhaust it. These examples are taken from the 

 most common shrubbery plants, the most diflicult subjects 

 to deal with in an)' other way, and the least elegant in their 

 modes of growth when allowed to take their natural course. 

 Although I would strongly recommend this way of managing 

 such plants, it is more for the purpose ot remedying their 

 propensity for throwing up a wilderness of suckers than 

 for torturing their heads into globular forms like those of 

 standard Roses. Indeed, I would rather let them assume 

 their natural habit of growth, merely preventing any large 

 limbs or shoots being formed to derange the balance of 



No. lOM.— Vol. SL., Olb Sepjes. 



