ON PRUNING AND TRAINING PLANTS TO FORM STANDARDS. 
15 
>re other motives besides convenience, which frequently operate to prompt the 
julturist in altering the aspect of his plants and these are the desire of novelty, 
i nd the wish to produce improved effect. 
Confining our remarks to the transformation of bushy plants into standards, it 
oust be acknowledged, that, in some instances where it is commonly practised, the 
hange is questionable enough in point of taste. A formal, close-headed standard 
lose, for example, is certainly far from being so intrinsically beautiful as a fine 
iompact Rose-bush. Still, the closely-pruned standard Rose is admitted into the 
>est gardens ; and this, because, however much it may fall short of the Rose-bush 
Is characteristically ornamental, it is in itself an extremely pleasing and interesting 
:>bject. 
Whether, therefore, the custom of forming bushy plants into standards be 
leconcilable with the pure principles of taste, we shall not stop to inquire. It will 
ufficiently vindicate our advocacy of its adoption and extension, to show that it is 
tot so far inconsistent and extravagant as to fix the thoughts of the best-informed 
ninds on its impropriety rather than on its attractiveness. And this is clear, from 
! he favour with which neat and pretty standard shrubs of various kinds are 
I 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 
nust be desirable to bring them more generally into use, on the ground that they 
vould contribute, more than almost any other style of plants, to impart that 
karming variety to collections which is so necessary to the production of striking 
iffect. It is useless to strive against nature. And the love of variety is so 
nanifestly a natural and ineradicable impulse, that, unless it is to be ministered to 
>y that which is really ridiculous and objectionable, it should invariably be 
gratified. The gardener, especially, ought to be always fertile in novel expedients 
or securing and continuing the smile of his patrons ; for floriculture is a pursuit 
which, though singularly delightful, will necessarily, like every other, satiate and 
oall the mind, unless its beauties be presented in fresh and varying forms and 
nrcumstances. 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 
oushes 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 
