Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-07-05

SoME FEATURES OF THE JAPANESE EXHIBIT
AT PARIs.-The Japanese have hit upon
dainty and at the same time thoroughly prac-
tical plan for displaying TO the world the ag-
ricutural resources of the 'Flowery Islands"
npd their example is worth copying by the
western nations. 1t will be remembered that
they exhibited large series of quaint yet ar
tistically executed pictures at Philadelphia,
illustrating the culture of tea, silk etc. At
this fair they have gone farther, and show the
processes by means of small and beautifully
made models. The manufacture of silk il
shown in a series of six or eight model houses
In these We see the men and women at their
toll in the garments which they habitually
wear. Here they are seated upon the floor
weaving; there they are gathered around
dye tubs here again they are embroidering
the delicate stutfs. People linger for hours de-
lightedly over these processes which are de-
scribed at length both in French and Japan
ese. These models, l am told, came from
the laboratory of the Bureau of Agriculture
The whole agricultural exhibit sent from Ja-
pan is arranged in the most artistic manner.
Some ingenious mind has devised a stand
with immense folding leaves, so arranged that
six or eight persons can look at some portion
of them at the same time, and on these leaves
are printed in the most comprehensive form,
statistics accompanied with a picture of ev-
Japan. Thus in very smallest compass, one
can gather invaluable information. The min
istry of agriculture exhibits models of all the
household utensils in use in Japan. Their
chief characteristic is their extreme simplicity
combined with 'handiness" beyond re-
proach. The bamboo is an article which is
made to perform great variety of duties in
Japan and China, and the japanese display
it freely, in the matches of their houses, in
II Il
clever native artists with a few strokes of
their facile pencils, have sketched dozen
landscapes on some tall bamboos which stand
near the portal of this Agricultural section;
and Americans who have been in Japan say
these give wonderfully vivid idea of the
scenery and people. OF all the grains there
is a rare display, packed in little fat glass jars
which give even the noxious berries an appe-
tizing air And of liquors and sauces our
japanese friends have SO many that the
French, who do not like to admit the superb
ority of any other nations on such important
points, have entered upon a regular study of
them. Not only are the interiors of factories
and mills shown by means of models, but al
so by photographs, some of which show hun
dreds of girl operatives standing before looms
as they do in New England, and revealing to
us a wealth and power of industry in the far
away land which we had not heretofore inn
agned Then the various Kinds OF dwellings,
are shown, the humble cottage of the peasant
with its comfortable-looking thatch, its low
cool and cleanly rooms, and the more ambi-
tious establishment of the merchant. Near
the peasants house little frames are ranged
and they turn out, on close inspection, to be
those of the owner and his family, engaged
in their house and teamwork. From the Min
istry of Agriculture in Japan have come
great variety of wood carvings, some of
which are extremely wonderful but most of
which may be set down as grotesque. Next
to the educational exhibit of this strange land
the collection illustrative Of the Minister of
the Interiors Department and of the navy are
the most startling things shown by the Japan
ese. We expect potteries of them, but we
did not expect to find them i'll such large
degree copying European institutions. Here
we find the plates for the printing of their
government bonds, in characters which,
strange as they at first seem, rapidly acquire
a human interest postal cards, envelopes,
series of cards beautifully Autographed with
pictures of animals and birds, used in natural
history lessons for children models Of mines
and other private and public engineering
works; in short 70 much that is unexpected
that one cries out as the French critic did
when he was taken to see the Chinese porce-
lains, Its revelation EdHard Kings
Letter to the Boston Journal.