S T A 



S T A 



out at that height all around to form a head, as 

 in common standard apple- and pear-trees, fo- 

 rest-trees, &c. 



Such trees as are designed for full -standards, 

 should be trained accordingly in their minor 

 growth, by trimming off all lower lateral branches 

 gradually as the stem advances in height, to en- 

 courage a clean straight growth to the proper 

 hei£;ht, and promote the aspiring of the top or 

 leading shoot more expeditiously ; suffering the 

 leader always to remain entire, especially in all 

 forest-trees ; or, if it should happen to fork, 

 taking off ihe worst, and leaving the straightest 

 shoot to run up, to continue the prolongation 

 of the stem; and having thus run them up with 

 clean stems gradually from six or seven to eight 

 or ten feet or more, especially the deciduous 

 kinds, suffer them to branch out into a full 

 head, and run in height as fast as possible ; 

 though in fruit-trees ihe stem is often lopped at 

 six or seven feet height, to force out a set of la- 

 terals in that part, to form a regular spreading 

 head of but moderate height, for the greater con-_ 

 venience of gathering the fruit; but for all kinds 

 of forest-tree standards the tops should never be 

 reduced, but the leader be permitted to remain 

 entire to run up in height ; as the beauty and 

 woith of such trees consist in their lofty growth. 

 But in several forest and ornamental standards 

 of the evergreen tribe, the trimming their stems 

 from laterals while young, in this way, must be 

 but sparingly practised ; such as the pines, firs, 

 cedars, and several others, which, being of a re- 

 sinous nature, do not succeed if too closely 

 pruned ; besides, when designed for ornamental 

 plantations, the trimming up the under branches 

 would greatly diminish the beauty of their pe- 

 culiar growth ; for the disposition of the branches 

 in most of them, covering the stem in circular 

 rays to the very bottom, is thought additionally 

 ornamental. The lower disorderly stragglers 

 should of course only be taken off. 



Most sorts of fruit-trees may be trained for 

 full standards, except vines ; though some of 

 them will not ripen their fruit effectually in this 

 way, as peaches, nectarines, apricots, and figs ; 

 but, on the other hand, all sorts of apples, pears, 

 plums, and cherries, ripen their fruit freely on 

 standards. 



All fruit-trees for this purpose are raised by 

 grafting, &c. on the freest strong-shooting 

 stocks, and trained with straight clean stems, 

 as above, either the stock trained up to that 

 height, and then grafted or budded, the graft 

 or bud branching out forming the head, or the 

 stock grafted, irear the ground, and the first 

 shoot froin the graft or bud trained up for a 

 stem to the proper height, then suffered to send 

 2 



forth branches ; in cither method, it is next to 

 be considered whether it be intended the tree 

 shall form a spreading open head, or assume a 

 more erect and aspirmg growth ; in the former 

 case, if the leading shoot of the graft or bud be 

 topped at six or seven feet from the ground, it 

 will force out lateral shoots at that height, and 

 commence a spreading head open in the middle, 

 suffering, however, the whole afterwards to take 

 their own growth ; and in the latter by permitting 

 the leading shoot to remain entire, it will aspire 

 in height, and the whole head will assume a 

 more upright and lofty growth ; in both me- 

 thods the heads will afterwards naturally branch 

 out abundantly, and furnish themselves suffi- 

 ciently with bearing wood, producing fruit, in 

 some sorts, in two or three years from the 

 grafting and budding, as in cherries, apples, &c. 

 but ptars are sometimes four, five, or six years 

 before they bear. 



It is expedient to train most of the principal 

 hardy fruit-trees as full standards, that, when 

 planted in continued rows, either in gardens or 

 orchards, by having tali stems, they may admit the 

 influence of the sun and air more freely to the 

 heads, and permit the obtaining crops of es- 

 culents, grass, &c. from the ground underthem. 

 In respect to the management of full standard 

 fruit-trees, little is required after the first train- 

 ing, to form the stem to the proper height, and 

 the first shoots are advanced at top to give the 

 head its first formation, being allowed to ad- 

 vance nearly in their natural order, except re- 

 ducing any very irregular growths, permitting 

 the whole to shoot both in length and branch la- 

 terally in their own way ; by which they na- 

 turally form fruit-spurs along their sides up- 

 wards for bearing. 



The irregular branches must, however, be re- 

 moved, and the heads kept properly thinned, 

 as well as the suckers rubbed off from the stems 

 or other parts. See Pruning. 



Standard fruit-trees with high stems are some-' 

 times planted against walls, and trained as wall-' 

 trees ; this is practised for high walls, so as im- 

 mediately to cover the upper parts of them, 

 whilst Dwarfs and Half Standards cover the bot- 

 tom and middle parts, and thus every part of the 

 wall is fully occupied at once : but in these cases 

 the dwarf-trees are to remain, the others being 

 wholly destroyed aftera time. See Wall-Trees. 

 These sorts of high standards are likewise .oc- 

 casionally placed against the ends of buildings ; 

 some choice sorts of pears in particular : also 

 apricots in a southerly aspect, and other fruit- 

 trees of the same kind. 



Half Standards. — These are trees trained with 

 stems only three or four feet high, then suffered 



