Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-01
rtgmy Trees and Miniature Land
scapes.

In some ways the Chinese and Japa-
nese gardeners are tho most successful
in the world. They can control and
divert the growth Of plants in q man.
ner that seems really marvellous until
the princiDle on which il IS lone Is
known. when. as in many other mat
ters, It becomes quite simple.
The Chinese have such strong hk-
ing for The grote, que. and unnatural.
that the handiwork of their gardeners is
not SO p easing as that of the japanese
gardeners. The Chinese understand
the 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 that is only tit to exist
in nightmare.
The Jap Ines1. on the contrary, are
remarkable for their love of the beauti-
fal and graceful, and, consequently,
ugly forms find no favor with them.
Every Japanese has n garden if it be
possible; but, as space is valuable in
dap \. only the very rich can have
very large grounds, and the family in
moderate circumstances must be con-
tent with Il 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 obj cts 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 whole
landscape contained in space no
greater than the top of dining table.
There will be mountain. stream, 6
lake, rocky grottoes, winding paths,
bridges, lawns, fruit trees, shrubs and
flowers. all so arlisiically 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 the tiny
landscape.
This seems wonderful enough; but
what will you think when say that it
is reproduced on so small a scale that
the two pages of 81. 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 be. Counterfeit fish swim in
the glass lake, and Il false crane over
looks the whole scene, just as the real
crane does the larger landscape. The
mountain, winding walks, bridges, and
rocky groLtoc5 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.
tions to fit the landscape, and they are,
consequently, SO tiny that one is tempt
ed to doubt their reality; and more than
one stranger hes Wy taken the leaves
or uit between his fingers, in order
to make sure that the dwarfs do truly
live, and are not, like the fish and
crane, mere counterfeits. These mini
ature landscapes have been success uly
brought to tn country; and on one oc-
cason lady of San Francisco used one
as u centcr-piece on the table ut din
ner party, greatly TO the wonder and
admiration of her guests, who coulI
scarcely be convinced that the almost
micros .opic apples on the trees were
genuine fruit.
And now comes the question-how
is the dwarting done? The principle is
simple. The gardener merely thwarts
nature. He knows that, to grow prop
erly. tree requires sunlight, heat,
moisture, and nourislment from the
soil. He taxes measures to let the tree
have on.y just enough of these to en-
able it TO keep alive.
To begin. he takes a little Seeding
or cutting. about two inches high, and
cuts off S main root. He then puis
the plant in 4 shallow dish, with the
cut end OF the root r. sting against
stone, to retard its growth by prevent
ing nour. sament entering that way.
Bits OF clay the size of u bean are put
in the dish. and are so regulated in
kind and quantity rs to afford the least
possible iood for the little rootlets
which have been lett on the poor Little
tree. Water, heat, and light are fur
nishcd the struggling plant in just suf-
ficient quantiti s to hold life in it with
out giving it enough to thrive on. In
addition, anv ambitious attempt TO
thrive, in ite of these drawbacks. is
checked by clipping with sharp knife
or soaring with q red-hot iron.
After from five to fifteen years of
such tr 'atment, the only wonder is that
the abused tree Il consent to live, TO
say nothing of bearing fruit.--Joh's R.
C0rucU. in S. NtchOL4S