The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18
THE WONDER or JAPAN.
A Seventeenth Century Garden.

A Seventeenth Century Garden
Jro-, GARDEN and Forest
Early In the seventeenth century. and noe
long after Icyasu by tho selection Of Yedo for
the Shoguns' capital made lit the most impor-
tant city in Japan. tho Prince Mitsukuni laid
out within tho borders Of the city garden In
which to lind. after life OF labor. q peaceful
old age This garden. which has been main.
tanned in an excellent state OF preservation. 10
one OF tho most interesting. sights In Tokyo.
sn IN sT 81 Its en ss U the
and Instructive pieces OF landscape gardening
In Conception and design, this garden 10
Chinese. for the Japanese with their other arts.
brought many centuries ago the art OF land.
call tho natural style was conceived and brought
to high state of perfection long before 1t was
ampics of good Chinese gardening. art exist,
oil dating from tho early years OF tho seven.
aoidcn Pavilion connected via, The R2knnil
Monastery at ky9t9 and that t. OF Glnk n6n ~
the Them sSSrSS 81 IN sn Design and
ervation with tho Arsenal Garden at Tokyo, in
which pbSea9t tao bstcr haG China e
The Arsenal Garden, occupies, perhaps
acres or Il P may be ity Of the shape o. the
piece Of ground it covers the visitor can form
era nne9 rather longer than Broad Tho gsrden
is entered through small and rather shabby tasS
lon, with q pond Of dirty water surrounded
with IT. Irregular stone dSop pnS
a ish. W fo the "''b box and holy plants out into
fantastic shapes. the masses Of closely clipped
5aeas and the Sss ot the
Japanese nd as they are meaningless
to ours. with the artincially, moulded surface
happy looking apricots. and the leaiiess cherry
trees. This dreariness and unnatural lf ,n ,a mo
ure which the visitor feels as soon as he passes
the simple gateway in the high masonry wal
fnds himself in a broad walk paved IN tho
middle for width Of five or six feet. with fat.
above the surface. the whole being construct
ed in imitation OF that portion Of the Tokaid9.
s the m
This path winds gracefully through grove
Of live oaks camphor trees camelli as ana
affords a retreat as cool as grotto on either
side the ground rises and falls in natural IN
a thick carpet OF evergreen plants. aucubas.
aralias. and many ferns: ascending and DE- de-.
surface. it reaches the shores OF a lake at 2
point where The broadest and mos, most perfect ls
seen in ali the simpiicIty Of its design. s srr.
S ssotsn mass Of svessTssn ,Piase Through
Ghsh rre aeFa FIR ree sands out sody
the sky The walk now leaves the border OF
ak an e an into tns woSi
rises and falls sometimes steeply. at oilers
gradually. as it leads the visitor around the
from which &c vista has heen cut through tho
trees for view across the Ike: nov 1t passes
Se m Of at Hyota and then By
shrine which commentaries the glory OF
'S they p4 HHsss C dssaS
! across an arching stone ridge to an cottage.
| diagrams of the Chinese system Of diyination;
| and then over rushing torrent which falls
%1e lawns i" naiy reaches the POINT Where
the shore OF the lake was first approached;
auis wG for ws ' is S nerhaps not
helf milo long. it appears. so varied Is It in
'srss to for m tie the ' h s snd
| TO cross The ravincs OF rrimeval forest.
Tho garden occupies what was once proSP S
sol so taken from the site Of the lake was
hrGpsd NJ arounh the Gorders to ProtesSStthsm
,r na wnch l he lake se' was ct
highest ioint, Of the artificial hills and allowed
natm ii1 grouping Of few varieties Of harmo.
! NOUS trces did the rest. the whole producing
i ne On he he's shore " OF tho lake might We'll
Imagine hImse, th9nsandf, .t miles from To any
/ TEMPLES. tho bridges and the other structures
which max the yak through n the me, i gfradsa
upon the harmony of the scene And hidaen.
| too are the srecial collections OF plants which
out out dis i I it as work OF art. At one
point the principal walk passes through
heasts St Of ali anss f %r the owsrs
whrh cover The naked branches IN Fe6r nibry
i Tat tn Of H s sIH tkero coseon Of
cherry trees which produce their, pink md
white flowers alter those Of the apricots have
ceio rom tie shores Of the lake. Ieay.
ing a grass,covered recess are a. number
/ ,,F,r tyrin of fra mad n m
the Japanese fashion: and in the middle u
another little lawn is an iris garden win ~, r.,
those OF a rico field. uy narrow walks. Fab
Of these special features makes the garden IN
white they arc 90 carefully placed that they Q
not Interfere With the artistic feeling whi'h
is mis- grouping Of inharmoniops units build; aid
incs. and collections OF plants In such WAY
that they Do not intrade themssyes IN nm, is
garden and which makes II so worthy Of sthGy.
he mere lover Of plants; az well As t,,ss
macs to Interest ts h him IN Msukan; creation
for in this garden he, will And som" OF ne
among them several which are probably AS"
as the garden itself: and 1t is interest," ,hE
Japanese cultivate chinese rather than laIa.
pese plants in their gardens. her" NE puma
tons are composed almost eniiIeiy o. i IhtH
nese trees. and that none OF tho, rIiIrt'
dwarfed. and Gistortcd plants. which ar" a.,
ways featuren the gardens Of the JaI abeT ',
|
lake are splendid specimens Of the can rhp |,
tree. and OF the two familiar i've oaks Il
central Japan iGucrcu- 'usIHuhut hni
| Qnercus G!Hucal: nowhere car u" seen 10,
bier pinntS, Of tho two broad lenvch hoIii"s :,
Of Japan Hex latifoIIa md Hex lhlegra. M
comm on Japanese maple, growin: here TO rs
largest size. dips ITS delicate tranrhlGts m =,
the waters OF the PLACID lake wnilo apoVe \
tho momi Abies ilrmal the nShdSomest OF an
tic japanese hrs sends ~ its straight, ma;
sivn stems 10 III. height - az lehSt hundl"tt
nrborcscent BAN oos, which are stu larG'S
planted in all the temperate parts OF the Gi,
pir": nd in tins garden Is T. 10 seen WIH'
experts declare il the 'lnest plant OF the So
cal cd square-sicInmcd bamboo known.
The garden j. admirably kept: indeed: 50
well KEPT that the keeping seems 10 he tiS
work OF nature, and tho Interference o. ma
! hand is barely noticeable, except. perhaps. ~
| the too formal trimming Of the margin OF Ihp
lake at those points where the tree 90 70.
grow close down 10 the water. liut except i"r
this single fHuit II In not easy to see now NJ
garden, created ncfor" le AItre was norm NJ m,i
| when the arr Of Landscape gardening WIS W.
| lnn In rnnll Nrn or nDW