Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-05-22
Pigmy Trees and Miniature Land
ScapcS.


scapcs.
In some ways the Chinese and Jana
nese gardeners are the most successful
IN the world. They can control and
divert the growth of plants In man
ner that seems really marvellous until
the principle on which it IS done is
known, when, as in many other mat
tiers, II becomes quite simple.
The Chinese have such n strong lik-
ing for the grotesquc. and unnatural.
that the handlwork of their gardeners is
not so pleasing as that of the japanese
gardeners. The Chinese understand
the dwarting of trees; but their best
work is in so directing the growth of n
tree or plant that it viii resemble some
hideous animal that is only fit TO exist
in nightmare
The Jap lnese, on the contrary, are
remarkable for their love OF the beauti-
ful and graceful, and, consequently,
ugly forms find no favor with them.
Every Japanese has a garden if il be
possible; but, as space is valuable in
japan, only the very rich can have
very large grounds, and the family il
moderate circumstances must be con-
tent with n garden often smaller in
area than the floor of one of our hall
bedrooms in q 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 q whole
landscape contained in space no
greater than tAe top of a dining table.
There will be mountain, stream,
lake, rocky grottoes, winding paths.
bridges, lawns. frui trees, shrubs and
flowers, all so artisticaliy laid out as
to resemble nature, itself. In the lake
will swim wonderful, tilmy-fnned gold
and silver fish. and not infrequently
the tall form of crane will be seen
moving majestically about tho tiny
landscape.
This seems wonderful enough; but
what will you think when / say that it
is reproduced on so small scale that
the two pages of 50. Nicholas, as it lies
open beforeyou, can cover it! In this
case n tiny house is 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 n false crane over
looks the whole scene, just as the real
crane does the larger landscape. The
mountain, winding walks, bridges, and
rocky grottces are in the little land
scape; and real trees bearing fruit, or
covered with dainty blossoms, are in
their proper places.
These trees are of the right proper
tons 10 fit the landscape, and they are,
gquently, so tiny that onois tempt
ed 10 doubt their really; and more tnan
one stranger has : viz taken the leaves
or f nit between his fingers, in order
TO make sure that the dwarfs do truly
live. and are not, like the fish and
crane, mere counterfeils. These mini
ature landscapes have been success, uly
brought to this country; and on one oc-
casion lady OF San Francisco used one
as center-piece on the table at din
rer party, greatly to the wonder and
admiration OF her guests, who could
scarcely be convinced that the almost
microscopic apples On the trees were
genuine fruit.
And now comes the quegtion-how
is the dwarfing done? The principle is
simple. The gardener merely thwarts
nature. He knows that, to grow prop
erly, tree requires sunlight, heat,
moisture, and nourisIment from the
soil He takes measures to let the tree
have only just enough of these to en-
able it to keep alive.
TO begin, he takes q little seeding
or cutting, about two inches high, and
cuts off lis main root. He then puts
the plant in a shallow dish, with the
cut end of the root resting against y
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 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, heat, and light are fur
nished the struggling plant in just suf-
ticient quantities to hold life II it with
out giving it enough to thrive on In
addition, any ambitious attempt to
thrive, in spite of these drawbacks, is
checked by clipping with 9 sharp knife
or soaring with n red-hOt iron,
Alter from five TO fifteen years of
such treatment, the only wonder is that
the abused tree VIII consent TO live, to
say nothing of bearing fruit-JobH Il.
CorycH, az 81. NichoJ0S