Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-06
P,rmy Tree. and MIni..ur. L.na.c.pe.

In some ways the Chinese and JAP
anese gardeners are the most successful
of any in the world. They can control
and direct the growth of plants to a
degree that seems really marvellous
until the principle upon which it is
done is known, when, as in many other
matters, it becomes quite simple.
The Chinese have such strong liking
for the grotesque. and unnatural, that
the hard work Of their gardeners is not
as pleasing as that of the japanese
gardeners. The Chinese understand
the dwarfing of trees but their best
work is in so directing the growth of
tree or plant that it will resemble some
hideouS animal which is only fit to exist
in nightmare
The Japanese, on the contrary, are
remarkable for their love Of what is
beautiful and graceful, and, cOnse-
quently, ugly forms find no favor with
them. 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 moder
ate circumstances must be content with
a garden often smaller in area than the
floor of one of our hall bedrooms In a
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 10
have everything in miniature. 1t IS no
uncommon thing to see whole land
scape contained in space no greater
than the top of your dining table.
There will be mountain, a stream, a
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-finned gold
and silver fish, and not infrequently
the tall form of a crane will be seen
moving majestically about the tiny land
scape.
This seems wonderful enough but
what will you think when l say that
almost the same landscape is reproduced
on so small a scale that the two pages
of ST. NICHOLAS, as it lies open before
you, can cover it In this case, tiny
house is added delicate green moss
takes the place Of grass, and glass
covers the lake where the water should
he. Counterfeit fish swim in the glass
lake, and a false crane overlooks the
whole scene, just as the real crane does
the larger landscape. The mountain,
winding walks, bridges, and rocky grot-
toes 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 pro-
portions to tit the landscape, 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 truly live, and are not. like the fish
and craze, mere cOunterfelts. 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 could scarcely be con-
vinced that the almost microsc ropic
apples on the trees were genuine fruit.
And now comes the question-how is
the dwarfing done? The principle is
simple. The gardener merely thwarts
nature. He knows that, to grow
properly, tree requires sunlight, heat.
moisture, and nourishment from the
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 seedling.or
cutting, about two inches high, and
cuts of its main root. He then puts
the plant in a shallow dish, with the
cut end Of the root resting against
stone, to retard its growth by prevent
ing nourishment entering that way.
Bits Of clay the size of bean are put
in the dish, and are 50 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, heat, and light are furnished
the struggling plant in just sufficien.
quantities to hold lite in it without
giving it enough to thrive on. In addi-
tion, any ambitious attempt to thrive,
in spite Of these drawbacks, is checked
by clipping with sharp knife or soaring
with red-hot iron