The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-05-10
PlCMY TREES AND MINIATURE LANDS.
CApES,

successful of any in the world. They
can control and direct the growth of
plants to 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 unna-
tural, that the handiwork Of their
gardeners is not so pleasing as that
Of the japanese gardeners. The
Chinese understand dwarfing of
trees; but their best work is in so
directing the growth of a tree or
plant that it will resemble some
hideous animal which is only fit to
exist in a nightmare.
Japanese, on the contrary. are re-
markable for their love of what is
beautiful and graceful, and, conse-
quently, ugly forms find no favor
with them. Every Japanese has
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 circum-
stances must be content with gar
den often smaller in area than the
floor of one of our hall bedrooms in
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 de-
sired result is to have everything in
miniature. 1t is no uncommon thing
to see whole landscape contained
in a space no greater than the top
of your dining-table. There will be
a mountain, a stream, 3 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
6nned gold and silver fish, and not
infrequently the tall form of crane
will be seen moving majestically
about the tiny landscape.
This seems wonderful enough !;
but what will you think when say
that almost 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, a tiny house is added !;
delicate green moss takes the place
of grass, and glass covers the lake
where the water should be. Coun-
terfeit 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 grottoes are in the little
landscape; and real trees, bearing
fruit, or covered with dainty bios
SONS, are in their proper places.
These trees are of the right pro.
portions to fit 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 dwaffs do truly live, and are
not, like the fish and crane, mere
counterfeits. These miniature land
scapes have been successfully
brought to this country and on on,
occasion lady of San Francisco
used one of them as center-piect
on the table at dinner-party
greatly to the wonder and adnira
ton of her guests, who would
scarcely be convinced that the al
most microscopic apples on the tree
were genuine fruit.
And now comes the question
how is the dwarfng done? Tn
principle is simple. The gardene
merely thwarts nature. He know
that, to grow properly, tree re
quires sunlight, heat, moisture, an
nourishment from the soil. He take
measures to let the tree have onl
just enough of these to enable it t
keep alive.
IL bCSil; uC tuhCS ~ llbJIc SecU
ling, or cutting, about two inche
high, and cuts off its main root. II
then puts the plant in shalloN
dish, with the cut end of the roc
resting against stone, to retard il
growth by preventing nourishmer
entering that way. Bits of clay til
size of a bean are put in the disl
and are so regulated in kind an
quantity as to afford the least poss
BILE food for the little rootlets whic
have been left on the poor little ire,
Water, heat and light are furnishe
the struggling plant in just sufIiciel
quantities to hold life in it w1thol
given it enough to thrive on. ]
addition, any ambitious attempt 4
thrive. i'm spite of these drawback