.STANDARD TREES. 113 



If you cannot make your tree spread in all direc- 

 tions, the consequence must be that you either want 

 room for the production of fruit, or you suffer crowd- 

 ing of the branches, from which you have fruit of 

 an inferior quality. Besides, the south aspect of 

 the tree is by far the most productive; and if you 

 do not effect a sufficient growth to the westward, 

 you have consequently less of that surface which 

 sees most of the sun. 



Besides apples and pears, a few other kinds of 

 fruit may be conveniently cultivated on standard 

 trees; and it may save the inexperienced planter 

 from disappointment to give some notice of the 

 sorts and their relative chances of success. Cherries 

 and geens may be set in some out-of-the-way place, 

 or on the worst soil, for the ornament of their white 

 blossom, and for food to the birds. You will cer- 

 tainly get none of the fruit; but such trees, by 

 occupying the enemy for a time, will cause a diver- 

 sion in favour of your garden. The greengage 

 plum is copiously produced on standards, but will 

 rarely, except near the level of the sea, come to 

 maturity in that way; the yellow magnum as to 

 any chance of ripening is out of the question, and 

 the red magnum will not hang on the tree. It is 

 advisable to have one or two standards of the 

 Orleans plum, whose fruit comes to maturity when 

 that of the same kind on the wall is expended. 



But by far the most profitable is the wild plum, 

 of which there are many varieties, and which, being 



indigenous, or natural to this climate, requires neither 



H 



