Mohave County miner., 1888-04-28
FLOWERS IN JAPAN.
FLORAL WONDERS or THE DAN
Co-zAkA GARDENS.

.3.-iqae and Beautiful Designs In Chty-
asthemums--waakiss YIoworpIsces--A
Floral sfardsrss ---Cssnts, Dragons and
Demons in BIossom-Landscapc Art.
No one goes 10 Dango- zaka except In
Tao chrysanthenum season, and the little
community tend, prune, dwarf and culti-
| yate their plants IN rcace until the chrys-
anlhemums begin toi flower. Then Dango.
| xaka becomes gay fair. Banners, flags,
| pennnnts, lanterns and gorgeous poe ters
I'LL the sides Of tho steep, narrow street,
| holiday crowds trudge up and down, and
before every garden entrance an eloquent
| proprietor sits, Turk fashion, on a table
covered with red blanket, aud holding
his hands over hibachi, or brazier of
/ charcoal and sings the merits OF his
ehrysanthemums The little gardens
themselves are models of landscape art
md arrangement, all so MANY poems In
4 rocks, trees, vines and flowers Dwarf
pines, dwarf naples, dwarfed everything,
are ranged Ia prosaic rows or benches, but
the pet chrysanthcmum bushes are now
housed in temporary huts or sheds Il
bamboo mats, Ia order that not petal
may uncurl or drop, and that they mag he
kept at their perfect stage as long as posi-
BILE. Bushes a. tall as those in the EN-
| peror's garden, covered with as superb and
| finely tinted blossoms, are there, but not
In such regiments rs In the imperial
/ grounds. These florists, too, have their
bushes bearing 100 and 200 separate aud
full blown flowers, and bushes where
skillfnl grating has made the great top
| OF variegated blossoms look like one well
arranged bouquet Of long stemmed fow-
ers
4 The spccialties Of Dango-zaka gardens
4 Are set pieces OF Aowers that dwarf all
/ other floral efforts In that line. Under
matted sheds, which are so many TEN.
porary stages without fcotiights, abieaux
with life size figures are arranged. The
faces and hands Of the igllrs are of wax
or composition, but their clothes ard the
accessories and scenery are made Of living
flowers, trained 80 closely over frame
/ works that one cannot even suspect n
mechanism. The flowers ore rot clipped.
and wired or toothpickcd into place to
wilt IN q day, but the plants forming the
lower parts OF the pieces grow In the
ground For the upper courses tho plant
Is taken. up with ell It's roots, and they are
wrapped In straw and cloths and watercd
every day, as IL they were I'm the ground,
instead OF being propped mp inside the
skeleton framework. The blossoms are
drawn TO the outsiie and woven. into
place, and the most natural efYecu are
realized In this Ingenious way. Groups
OF ladies are literally clad in iowered
gowns, kimonos OF white chrysanthemum
being lined with deep crimson or yellow,
and having folds Of pale Lilac at the neck.
The txblcaux represent scenes from history
and legends, from the latest plays ut the
Shintomiza theatre, and I'm one case illus
trate the last sensational murder with
which the Japanese newspapers have been
ringing-rcpresented I'm this latter case by
. floral Mrs. Druse plunging dagger
into PROSTATE cbrysanthemum man.
In one garden alcove three youngsters
stand around huge vase Of cyergreens.
From hole in its side gush streams OF
white chrysanthemums and q small boy
with q distressed countenance and red
chrysanthemum coat. The figures are life
size, and illustrate the story Of the boy
who had presence OF mind, and by break
ing hole I'm the side of huge water far,
saved the life Of their playmate, who had
fallen in and would have drowned. The
boy In the Jar Is common subject with
the artists who embroider or decorate
!
garden that rs study OF rocks there is o
charming little pool IL rocky niche,
overhung and almost curtained by trees.
On q ledge over the pool sits Edisu, one
of the seven household gods Of luck, clad
In chrysanthemum clothes, and holding a
fishing rod that has just hooked small
chrysanthemum fish. As a picture, this
little lone fisherwoman is the most charm
! fug thing In Dango. Zaka, and the tiny lit
| tie amphithcatre, with its high rocky
| walls, its mirror pool and parted curtains
of maple branches, IL worth raying over,
without the contemplatiye deity being I'm
troduced
The great piece of the year Is scene
from ancieL. history, where the Empress
Jjngo and her councillor, Takcnonchi,
stand on the deck Of q chrysanthemum
ship, bound for the conquest Of Korea.
and receive orncns from the gods of luck
and the marine deitics, over whom Jingo
Togo had control. Only the forward half
1 OF the ship is shown, but that is more
than fifty feet long; PROV OF yellow
chrysanfhen,ufns and a hull OF banded red
and white flowers, riding on a deep green
| sea flecked with foam OF white flowers.
Seeing this life size ship OF living chrys-
/ anthemums. that has been on view for a
fortnight and Is good for fortnight
longer, makes one smile TO remember the
tiny fiorh ships that the florists of the
western world build up as marvels OF
! their art.
The giant of Alazkn Is q splendid fell
low, thirty feet high, with shoes and
sword and yoluninous garments of highly
colored flowers, and the mask face has a
| pair OF big rolling cycballs that hold
Japanese children spellbound. One chrys-
anthemum man fleeing from the giant
has climbed live pine tree, and two
others nrc hiding behind n;ossy green
rock. Ono florist has largo landscape
piece, with waterfall Of white chrysan-
themums pouring through gap I'm a
mountain range and spreading into
| streams, where huge green dragon with
red eyes aud foamiDg mouth Is coiling and
disporting itself A rustic bridge, car
peted with reddish-brcwn flowers crosses
the stream, and achrysanthemum woman
leads a chrysanthemum horse, ridden by
n clrysanthemum man, across the bridge.
The third monumental piece OF this season
| represents n temple drum and standard,
-1ana thirty feet high altogether, with
| big demon coming out OF one end OF 10 and
| terrifying some pilgrims and worsnipers
| below. This colossal piece and some won
derful chrysanthemum bushes with 200
odd flowers on them are passing attrac-
tions I'm q garden celebrated for Its beau
tiful landscapes. - japan Cor. Globe
Democrat.
smith's TaIkative Wife.
\ GGyvnn v.ox.~ C,nttAs t. g.. III - x1..x