210 ON TRAINING HONEYSUCKLES, AND FORMING THEM INTO STANDARDS. 
similar plants in the ruder parts of pleasure-grounds or parks; nor, in more than 
two or three places, pruned to a standard of four or five feet high, and developing 
a large half-drooping head, which almost sweeps the lawn on which the specimen 
stands. And yet, for each and all of these objects, it is peculiarly well adapted, 
while its treatment, according to these several plans, would in itself give a great 
and delightful variety to a pleasure-garden. A short sketch of all these methods 
may not be unacceptabe. 
Honeysuckles are not, for the most part, at all suitable for training on walls. 
They are chiefly twining plants, and require something to wind and cling around. 
The Etruscan and yellow-flowered kinds, (Caprifolium etruscum and Jlavum,) 
with the evergreen sort, (C. semper vir ens,) are, however, tolerably fitted for 
clothing low walls. But they will need much pruning in such situations, at first, 
to prevent the lower branches from becoming bare, and to induce them to throw 
out laterals freely. 
For trellises, of various descriptions, Honeysuckles are much more appropriate. 
They can be trained over these so as to have almost a natural appearance, and 
whether the trellis be in the form of an espalier, or an arch over a walk, or a 
covering to an arbour, or any small erection, they will only need tying to it by 
some of the main branches, while the other shoots can be wreathed into the trellis. 
Here, as in the last-named case, much pruning will be wanted for a time, to get 
the plants into a good lateral and flower-bearing condition. A pretty diversity in 
training Honeysuckles thus might be obtained by the use of poles, with chains or 
ropes hanging in a deep curve between them, so as to compose festoons. By 
fastening two or three main stems along these chains or ropes, and pruning them 
to give an abundance of laterals, very elegant festoons might be formed in a few 
years. 
Supporting Honeysuckles by poles is much superior to the method of sustaining 
them by trellises, because more natural, and better calculated to show the plants 
to advantage. Indeed, this is one of the best of all ways of managing them. The 
poles may be from six to ten feet high, and either single, or in threes joined 
together at the top, or in threes kept apart by cross-bars. Perhaps the single 
poles are the most beautiful. A specimen, planted at the base of one of these, 
may be tied to it, or suffered to twine around it ; and as it rises, the leading shoots 
should now and then be stopped, in order to force them into a lateral growth, for 
the main beauty of a thing of this sort consists in having the entire pole well 
clothed with branches and blossoms. If the former are obtained, the latter are 
nearly sure to follow. 
Pruned so as to make a dwarf border shrub, the Honeysuckle will add a very 
agreeable feature to a shrubbery border. It has only to be efficiently cut down 
while young, and it will soon acquire the habit of making nothing but short 
blooming shoots ; or, should it occasionally send out a long rambling branch, such 
as it usually climbs with, this must be cut off at once, and its disposition to 
