The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-11-26
LADIES DEPARTMENT.
Japanese Housewifery.

Japan, IN climate and prOductlveneSS,
is very similar to Florida. Indeed,
great naturalist has decided that Florida,
Cuba and the Bahamas, belong to the
same coral zone III the east, to which
Japan belongs in the west; and, that the
waters which skirt our southern border,
flow over tesselated pavements, laid with
coral, mosaics, black, white, red, orange,
yellow, in fact every conceivable color,
while fishes of hues equally bright, flash
along in the sunshine, and occasionally
through the transparent waters in the
far off depth, grottoes may be seen, built
with more than imperial splendor.
Those who have sailedAoyer these south
ern seas, can tell us of scenes that beggar
description. The fairy enchantment,
that is as much the property OF the rude
savage, as of the most cultivated, nature
bestows with lavish hand. No wonder
that three centuries ago Florida was en-
wrapped in legend and poem. The poor
invalids of Europe were longing to drink
from her wonderful fountain of youth,
to bask in her sunshine, and renewtheir
fieeting strength by the breath of her
pine-laden air. And so, in that far west
ern sea-girt Empire, the legendary lore
is full of promise to weary mortals. 1t
tells of precious ponds whose waters re-
move hungar and thirst; the very sands
are gold, the pavements made of precious
stones, pavilions blaze with jewels, and
lotos blooms, most dazzling in hue, and
magnificent in size, appeal to all the
senses, and here the people live, die, and
enter no fairer paradise than they knew
upon their own lovely island. But the
poetic age has passed away, and we have
10 ~ IN
when the prose of everyday life makes
stern demands upon heart and mind.
Thanks to the spirit OF progress and en-
lightenment which allows us to look
more closely upon the domestic life of
ingenuity we have discovered What
challenged our admiration! Inventions
of which we are so proud, are so old
among the Japanese that the very date
of their construction has been forgotten.
In their houses, needing as ours do,
free ingress of pure air, no doors are
found. Large screens serve their pur-
pose. These are made in such perfection
of beauty that the poor medium of words
can scarcely describe them. Without
Kitchens, they perform marvels of cook
cry, most sincerely believing "'That
which is not good is not delicious to
well governed and wise appetite.'' Some
of their methods might serve us in eX-
tremity, as, for instance, in preserving
meat, pure and sweet for several days.
They pour over it boiling water, suffici-
ent to cover it, then a little oil on top,
which excludes the air, and their meat
is safe. Once an American noticed
Japanese servant sprinkle white pow
dew upon the floor in corner of the
room. When he inquired the purpose,
he found that the powder was corrosive
sublemate and that it was to destsoy
ants. Its effect upon these troublesome
insects was to render them mad, and they
Immediately fell to work biting each
other to death, until none of the whole
army were left. No people under the
sun are so economical of material, and
so prodigal of results, and yet, every
thing in housekeeping is deliberately
done that will admit of completely, just
as in their literature. When the life of
Washington was brought out in Yeddo,
it occupied no less than forty-four vol
umes, in the Japanese characters, and
was profusely illustrated in the highest
style of art. No people are more per-
SerVering or Give oreater attention to the