Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-04-25
PlGMY LANDSCAPES,
Curiositles OF Japanese Garden.
Nature in Marvellous Miniature.
Ninholoc


st. Nicholas.
Every Japanese has a garden, if it be
possible; but as space is valuable in
Japan, only the very rich can have large
grounds, and the family in moderate
circumstances must be content with @
garden often smaller in area than the
floor d'one of orr hall bedrooms in g
narrow city house.
Nevertheless, that small garden must
contain as many objects as the large
garden, and, of course, the only way
of accomplishing the desired result is
to have everything in miniature. 1t is
no uncommon thing to see a whole
landscape contained in q space nc
greater than the top of your dining.
table. There will be a mountain, g
stream, lake. rocky grottoes, winding
paths, bridges, lawns, fruit trees. shrubs
and flowers; all so artistically laid out
as to resemble nature itself. In the
lake will swim wonderful filmy'
finne1 gold and silver fish, and
not infreluently the tall form
of o crave will be seen moving
majestically about the tiny landscape
This seems wonderful enough, but
what will you think when say that al
most the same landscape is reproduced
on so small scale that the two pages
of st. Nicholas, as it lies open before
you. can cover it. In this case tiny
house 's added, delicate green moss
takes the place of grass, and glass
covers the lake where the water should
be. Counterfeit fish swim in the glass
lake and false crane overlooks the
whole scene, Just as the real crane does
in the larger landscape. The mountain,
winding walks, bridges, and rocky
grottoes are in the little landscape, and
real trees, bearing fruit or covered with
dainty blossoms. are in their proper
places.
These trees are of the right proper
tions to fit the landscapes,and they are,
consequently, so tiny that one is
tempted to doubt their reality, and
more than one stranger has slyly taken
the leaves or fruit between the fingers,
in order to make sure that the dwarfs
do really live, and are not, like the fish
and crane, mere counterfeits. These
miniature landscapes have been sue
cessfully brought to this country, and
on one occasion lady of San Francisco
used one of them as center-piece on
the table at dinner party, greatly to
the wonder and admiration of her
guests, who coald scarcely be con-
vinced that the almost microscopic ap-
Piles on the trees were genuine fruit.
And now comes the question-how is
the dwarfing done? The gardener
merely thwarts nature. He knows that,
to grow properly, tree requires sun
light, heat, moisture and nourishment
from th soil. He takes measures to
let the tree have only just enough OF
these to enable it to keep alive.
To begin, he takes a little Seeding or
cntting, about two inches high, and cuts
off its main root. He then puts the
plant in shallow dish, with the cut
end Of the root resting against o stone,
to retard its growth by preventing
nourishment entering that way. Bits
Of clay the size of bean are put in the
dish. and are so regulated in kind and
quantity as to afford the least possible
food for the little rootlets which have
been left on the poor little tree. Water,
hea. and light are furnished the strug-
Cling plant in just sufficient quantities
to hold life in it without giving it
enough 70 thrive on. In addition, any
ambitious attempt to thrive, in spite Of
these drawbacks, is checked by clip
ping with q sharp knife or soaring with
q red hot iron.
After from five to fifteen years OF
such treatment the only wonder is that
the abused tree consents even to live, to
say nothing of bearing fruit.
Lovely Purple Vine.
New York Evening Post.l
Boganvillia spectabilis, the fascinating
vine of wonderful lpurple color, is now
IN market and may be ordered in guam
titles from o Poughkeepsie grower.
This grows wild in South America,
where it festoons the forest; it is diff
cult to make it flower in the best con-
structed conservatories in this region,
however. 1t is peculiar plant; when
its dazzling flowers appear, the foliage
drops off; it requires about four weeks
after the blossoms open for them to
deepen to their best color. The flowers
never fall, and even after the vine is
cut will remain perfect for weeks.
When dried they are like tissue paper.
but cling firmly to their stem. Those
fortunate enough to procure enough OF
this vine to festoon mirror or pictures
may depend upon it for many months
for ornament. Two decorations have
already been made of Boganvillia spec
tabilis. There are few flowers that will
combine with its marvellous color. Big.
nonia Venusta is very elegant garlanded
with it, and lilies have not their fairness
clou,1ad hv IL