EVERGREEN STANDARD TREES. 
first-rate garden establishments in this coun- 
try, where orangeries are maintained, a very 
similar course is followed, — the orange trees 
being set out in the situations alluded to, dur- 
ing the summer season. It is not, however, 
generally known, that the common hardy 
Laurel, and the Portugal Laurel, may be 
used as substitutes for the orange, to produce 
the effect for which they are introduced to 
Italian gardens. Such, however, is the case, 
and the difficulty of preserving orange trees, 
therefore, need be no bar to the construction 
of Italian gardens by persons of limited con- 
veniences. 
YTe are not about to compare the formal 
aspect of an Italian garden with the natural- 
ness which is characteristic of the prevailing 
English style of gardening, nor to recommend 
one at the expense of the other. Italian 
gardens are quite in character in certain 
situations, such as in the vicinity of buildings 
of the Italian style ; but whether of greater 
or less extent, they should form detached 
scenes. Into the composition of such gar- 
dens, formal, mostly round-headed evergreen 
trees, almost necessarily enter ; such trees are 
set at equal distances by the sides of walks, 
forming avenues in miniature ; or they are 
set with equal formality, though less con- 
tinuity, at the angles and conspicuous points, 
which they serve to mark. For this purpose, 
the laurels are almost equal to the orange 
tree itself ; and as must be obvious to the 
merest casual observer, they may be employed 
in nine cases out of ten, when the latter 
would be altogether out of the question. The 
gratification afforded by an Italian garden, 
or at least by the appropriate introduction of 
Italian scenery, may, therefore, by their 
agency be extended to a greater number than 
could otherwise hope to enjoy it. The Por- 
tugal Laurel is perhaps to be preferred for 
the purpose to the common kind, being more 
tree-like in its habit. 
The formation of the plants is nothing more 
than a work of time. In the first place, young, 
healthy plants are chosen, and those must be 
selected which have a leading shoot ; this 
must be encouraged ; the lower branches gra- 
dually reduced, and the leader as sedulously 
maintained, until a clear straight stem, free 
from branches, and of the requisite height — 
five or six feet — is obtained ; the head is, of 
course, then formed by continued and close 
pruning, or stopping back. The plants are 
stationed in this way : — large tubs " without 
bottoms" are placed permanently in the situa- 
tions the plants are to occupy ; they are 
then filled with good soil, and the young 
standard trees planted in them, the roots 
being confined within the limits of the tub, 
till they descend to the surface of the ordinary 
soil, where, having room to spread with free- 
dom, they luxuriate, the trees become vigorous, 
and being frequently, almost continually, kept 
pruned or pinched back, they form compact 
round heads, which in appearance, at a little 
distance, very much resemble an orange tree, 
aud serve equally well as to the effect pro- 
duced. 
The Portugal Laurel (Cerasus lusitanica) 
is perhaps the most elegant of the two kinds 
of laurel for this object, and also the most 
suitable ; but even the common laurel (Ce- 
rasus Lauro-cerasus) may be employed with 
very good effect, notwithstanding its more 
shrubby character. The foliage of either of 
these trees, as is well known, is bold and striking, 
and this is just what is wanted ; for it is the 
form and foliage of the tree, more than any 
gaiety of flowering, which is required to pro- 
duce the effect sought for. 
The Laurustinus {Viburnum Tinus,) might 
be employed to form smaller trees, such as 
are called half-standards, that is, with stems 
about three feet high. A well-furnished plant 
would not only look well as an evergreen dur- 
ing the greater part of the year, but would, 
in addition, look exceedingly handsome, when 
covered with its snowy blossoms in the early 
part of winter. 
The Arbutus {Arbutus Unedo, and others), 
though less free growing than the preceding, 
might without much difficulty be moulded 
into the form required; and, in addition to 
any beauty they may possess as evergreens, 
they would be ornamented during winter with 
a double crop, — a batch of waxy, greenish- 
white flowers, and handsome pendent scarlet 
strawberry-iike fruit. 
Another plant which would form a good 
companion for the Laurustinus, is the Daphne 
hybrida, a species of free growth, with dark- 
green glossy leaves, and almost uninterrup- 
tedly covered with small tufts of purplish 
flowers, which are not indeed remarkably 
showy, but make up for this by their delicious 
sweetness. This plant might be grown to 
form a handsome half-standard. 
Nothing certainly can be handsomer as 
artificial objects than the standard Rhodo- 
dendrons, raised in some of the leading nur- 
series for American plants ; and such plants 
of Rhododendrons might be obtained and in- 
troduced with propriety and good effect in 
the situations we allude to. Of course, they 
would have to be treated with some reference 
to their natural habits and characters. Such 
trees as these are magnificent when in bloom, 
and at other times, being evergreen, would 
serve the same purposes as orange trees, or 
their substitutes, the Portugal laurels. 
One further hint may be worth offering : of 
course, when the roots of free growing plants, 
