ON PRUNING AND TRAINING PLANTS TO FORM STANDARDS. 
15 
are other motives besides convenience, which frequently operate to prompt the 
culturist in altering the aspect of his plants and these are the desire of novelty, 
and the wish to produce improved effect. 
Confining our remarks to the transformation of bushy plants into standards, it 
must be acknowledged, that, in some instances where it is commonly practised, the 
change is questionable enough in point of taste. A formal, close-headed standard 
Rose, for example, is certainly far from being so intrinsically beautiful as a fine 
compact Rose-bush. Still, the closely-pruned standard Rose is admitted into the 
best gardens ; and this, because, however much it may fall short of the Rose-bush 
as characteristically ornamental, it is in itself slu extremely pleasing and interesting 
object. 
Whether, therefore, the custom of forming bushy plants into standards be 
reconcilable with the pure principles of taste, we shall not stop to inquire. It will 
sufficiently vindicate our advocacy of its adoption and extension, to show that it is 
not so far inconsistent and extravagant as to fix the thoughts of the best-informed 
minds on its impropriety rather than on its attractiveness. And this is clear, from 
the favour with which neat and pretty standard shrubs of various kinds are 
regarded. 
Since, then, it appears that artificially standard plants are not altogether 
wanting in ornament, and do not outrage any principles of taste, we conceive it 
must be desirable to bring them more generally into use, on the ground that they 
would contribute, more than almost any other style of plants, to impart that 
charming variety to collections which is so necessary to the production of striking 
effect. It is useless to strive against nature. And the love of variety is so 
manifestly a natural and ineradicable impulse, that, unless it is to be ministered to 
by that which is really ridiculous and objectionable, it should invariably be 
gratified. The gardener, especially, ought to be always fertile in novel expedients 
for securing and continuing the smile of his patrons ; for floriculture is a pursuit 
which, though singularly delightful, will necessarily, like every other, satiate and 
pall the mind, unless its beauties be presented in fresh and varying forms and 
circumstances. The tame, old-fashioned uniformity of treatment, which our ances- 
tors adopted, will not suffice to maintain the interest of the art in the present day. 
As one means of giving freshness and diversity to a collection of plants, 
whether in the borders or the houses, the practice of raising low and familiar 
bushes into standards will be found worthy of employment. By this plan, the 
.outline or surface of a group, however small or large, may be agreeably varied ; 
while it will serve to throw an interest around individual specimens that would not 
be otherwise noticeable. This will particularly be the case with respect to species 
or varieties that are well known in their dwarf character ; for the transformation, 
if cleverly managed, will be all the more gratifying from the fact of its presenting 
the plant in an unusual and unlooked-for aspect. 
Independently, however, of this treatment of plants being defensible as a 
