STANDARDS.--These must be planted, when other crops are to be grown beneath. Quincunx fashion is the best. The rows, as a rule, should be 24 feet apart, and the trees in each row about 20 feet. Plums do not shade as much as apples and pears, yet it is always wise to avoid overcrowding. Some sorts are not as spreading or as vigorous as others. Weak growers like the Early Prolific might be placed between Jefferson and Monarch. Good trees in six or seven years should bring good returns, but the intermediate space may meanwhile be utilised for strawberries, gooseberries, and so on. Standards should be 6 feet high or more. After planting, cut back the shoots to about one-third of their length, the weakest still more, to promote vigorous growth, and cut just above an outer eye. Keep the centre open. In later years stop gross or robber shoots in June, clipping some leaves of the latter, if necessary. Never allow boughs to cross, and keep all the tree fairly open. When the tree begins to bear, little pruning is necessary. But stopping luxuriant shoots about midsummer is good for the other branches, and for the production of fruit buds before winter. Complete pruning early in August. In winter cut out dead wood, and shorten boughs wherever fresh wood is required. The wood of the Victoria plum is very brittle, and requires special treatment. Shorten the strong growing luxuriant branches of this variety in July; otherwise later on they will break when loaded with fruit. Messrs Bunyard's choice of six for market standards is: Rivers' Early Prolific, Czar, Early Orleans, Victoria, Pond's Seedling, Rivers' Monarch. HALF STANDARDS (3-½ feet to 4 feet high) are better, and more manageable. Planted 12 feet apart, gooseberries, etc., may be placed around them; otherwise they may be nearer, even up to 6 or 8 feet. These should be pruned in August unless strong shoots require pinching back. Stop new side shoots at the sixth leaf to produce fruit-buds. Avoid excess. Wounds made in August have a better chance of healing while the sap is still active. Pyramids are not as useful as bushes; the former require a central stem and special training. IN BUSHES, keep the tree open, stop strong shoots at midsummer, prune new (side) shoots back to six leaves about mid-August, and take out wood that is not wanted, admitting the sun and air. In winter cut back any boughs where fresh shoots are wanted to a wood bud at an outer eye.