Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-07-04
The Gardens Of Ncdo.

These are numerous in the suburbs of the
capital of Japan, of which the romantic
! town Of Dang-o-Xaka is one. The most
! curious objects in one of these gardens wcr,
imitation iddics, male up out Of the flowers
of the chrysanthemum. Thousands of flow
crs are used for this purpose, and rs these
artificial beauties smiled upon the visitors
out of the little alcoycs or summer houses
the effect was something rather startling
Mr.. Fortune visited garden after garden
each of which was crowded with plants,
some cultivated in pots, and others in the
! open ground, many of which were entirely
new to Europe, and of great interest and
value. \ great number of new shrubs and
trees, many of them probably well suited to
the English climate, was here purchashctl
by our traveller.
In exploring the country and gardens
about Su-mae-yah and Ogec, in the same
direction as Dang -o-Iaka, but somewhat
farther from Ycdo, Mr.. Fortune found
'park-likc scenery. trees and gardens, neatly
clipped hedges succeeding each other, until
he arrived at the village of Su-mao yah. "
The whole country here, he says, is covered
with nursery gardens Zone straight road
more than a mile in length, is lined with
thcm," and he remarks he had never seen in
Il
of plants cultivated TOR sale Each nursery
covers three or four acres of land, is nicely
kept, and contains thousands of plants, both
in pots and in the open ground. As these
nurseries are generally much alike in their
features, description OF one will give Il
good idea of the others.
'On entering the gateway there is Il prct-
ty little winding path leading up to the
proprietor's house which is usually situated
near the centre of the garden. On each
side of this walk are planted specimens et
the hardy ornamental trees and shrubs of
the country, many Of which arc dwarfcd or
clipped into round table forms The beau
titui little yew (t0rcS caSpci0t0D occupies a
prominent place among the dwarf shrubs.
Then there are the different species of pines.
thulas, rctlnoSporaS. and the beautiful
SciddoPfHS rcJticettdfd, all duly represented.
Plants cultivated in pots are usually kept
near the house of the nurscryman, or cnClos-
ed with fence of bamboo work. These are
cultivated and arranged much in the same
way rs we do such things at home. The
japanese gardener has not yet brought glass
houses to his aiG for the protection and cul-
tivation of tender plants. Instead Of this,
houses, sheds and rooms are filled with
shelves, into which all the tender things are
huddlcd together tor shelter during the cold
months of winter Here Mr.. Fortune found
some South American plants, such as cacti,
aloes, &c, which have found their way
here. although rs yet unknown in China; a
fact which shows the enterprise OF the Japan
csc in Il favorable light" over that of their
ncighbors.
In Japan and China, dwarf plants are
greatly esteemed; and the art OF dwarting
has been brought to Il high state of pcrtrc-
which he describes aS only one inch square
by three inches high, in which were actually
growing and thriving bamboo. a fir, and "a
plum tree, the latter being in full blossom.
The price of this portable grove was 1900
Dutch guldcn, or about ClO0-R0Jert For
tune