Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-21
FLORAL wHIMSICALTrIEs.
m. curtains Manner in which japanese
Cnrdens are Cultivated.

ticnlar flowers, but insignificant VIZ
lages in distant provinces are celebrated
through all Japan for the same reason.
The little town of Yoshino, thirty
miles from Nara, would probably never
he heard of but for its plantation OF
Towering cherry trees. TheSeare con-
sidered to be incompatible for beauty
in the month of April. when the NIL
sides are covered with their deIicaIe
pale pink blossoms. The cherry trees
of Mount Arashi, in Kioto, were Trans
planted from here, and even the TWO
miles of plum trees of Tankl-ga-se'
though almost as widely celebrated,
are considered inferior TO them. But
it is a poor place in Japan that IS not
famous for some natural beauty. BlWa
lake. near Kioto. has no fewer IMAM
eight distinguished beauties, ana IL
may be ayerred that the ingenuity
with which the catalogue Is made up
would find something TO admire IN any
situation. People 60 TO lshlyama, on
| this lake, to see the autumn moon; TO
Hirayana (yama. mOuntaln) 10 al nlre
the snow scenes. to Se,a for the sun
sec, to Mu-dera to hear the evening
chimes. to YabaSe to see the boats sail
by, to Awadza when there Is bright
sky with a breeze, such a conjunction
being pleasanter at that place than
anywhere else in Japan. katada is
famous for its flights of wild geese,
and Karasaki, having nothing else to
brag Of, boasts of the beauty OF It's
rainy nights.
1t is this fancifui way of regarding
nature and dwelling upon particular
effects that has developed the peculiar
style of landscape gardening in minla-
! ture that is common to China and
Japan. For this sharp and poetic
observation of nature is necessary, and
whimsical determination to get
around her ordinary laws, and to pro-
duce something more extravaganza than
her mildest vagaries. The gardener
of the extreme Orient is a great fellow
to make use of honeycombed rocks,
! the hollows of which he fills with
! towering plants. If he cannot get
real rocks from some neighbor ng sea-
coast, he has them made OF baked clay
at the nearest pottery kiln. Out of a
cupful of water, so to speak, he will
have a stream with cascade, lake
with islands, and bridge or an arm of
the sea with its iunkS and rocky coasts.
He delights in old trees, dead living,
and turns them to all sorts of uses.
! At Shimo Zebaka there is a hollow
keyaki tree of immense age, and
twenty-seven feet in circumference.
The hollow is the result of artistic
processes, by which the. tree has been
trained TO grow around well which
/ is sunk between its roots At Nara,
the ancient capital, huge old tree
| trunk is shown. on the dead branches
of which whole grove OF camellia,
cherry, wisteria and other bushes are
growing The art of dwarfng trees is
practiced with great success. The
pine, the cherry and the willow are
! the favorite subjects. The young tree
is taken in hand, and for many years
its branches are bandaged and twisted,
Tits buds are nipped, AMI it is kept on
liza starvation allowance of soil and
lwater. The stunted tree is quite a
lcostly object, and when large number
hare used to form miniature landscape
the work of art represents consider
liable sum of money. Toy houses,
bridges and temples are accessories in
ntheSe curious reproductions of natural
scenes models of celebrated noun
tains, promontories and ravines are
made in pottery, covered with turf.
and finished off with rock work; stream
lets supplied from hidden conduits,
groves of dwarf trees, bridges and
reductions of all the more remarkable
features of the real scene.
One of the finest in Japan is the
public garden of Mito, the capital OF
the province of Hitachi. II was laid
out about half century ago by the
old lord of Mito as retreat for him
self after he had resigned the govern
ment of the clan. The gardens occupy
the summit of little hill and sur
round the old lords summer residence.
Dwarf plum trees in groves, artificial
mounds, covered with springy turf and
fenced off with rustic hedges Of Dam
boo, and lake with stepping stones
and bridges are among the principal
attractions of the scene. There is a
little arbOr on one of the slopes where
the old daimio used to sit in the even
ing. BY the door are two small stone
tables fixed in the ground, one marked
with lines to form a chessboard and
the other arranged for a similar game
much in vogue in Japan. In grove
below is a well. the upper portion
followed nuf af cinUlp block NJ