New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-29
JAPANESE DWARF TREES.
A COLLECTION OF RARE AND BEAUTl-
FU1. MINIATURE EvDRGREENs.
rrnARs TWO FEET IN HEIGHT WHICH RESEMBLE
OLD FOREST rREEs-cURIOUs SHAPES
HOW pwARFING AND DRAFTING
J.
ARE ACCOMPLISHED.

The exhibition Of rare Japanese plants ana
awarfed trees at the American Art Galleries ias'
week offered to those interested In landscape
gardening and decoration an opportunity never
before presented for studying japanese ideas on
The subject. To persons In general also. wnether
tree culture appealed to them especially or not
the collection was a revelation OF the skill OF
gardeners in Japan At dwarfng and training
trees into curious and fantastic forms. Most OF
the plants shown are hardy evergreens OF the
cedar family. They are perfect miniatures OF
the forest giants into which they would have de-
velOped II their growth had been allowed to take
its natural course. The trunks are gnarled and
twisted; the bark rough and gray with age; the
branches spreading in graceful. strong curves.
and the foliage dense and green.
Some Of these trees are nom one hundred to
two hundred years old and one. three and
half feet HIGH the finest of the collection, has
reached the age Of two hundred and fifteen
years. II came from the garden Of Count Oku-
ma . well-known Japanese plant collector, and
was trained two centuries ago. BY Zaru Cho a
gardener and tree trainer Of Toxic. The popular
name Of this variety OF tree in Japan Is chabo-
hiba, known TO botanists as the Thuya obtusa.
The American cedar and arbor-vte are mem
These chabo-hibas. which formed the greater
part Of the collection. are trained to grow into
several distinct shapes each Of which has
name. The most prominent Of them Is the
1ixkei shape or style-the one necessary for
plant which is to hold the most import ant posi-
tion in q Japanese garden. In this all the
branches are regularly and proportionatey ar
ranged though without a monotonous balance
or repetition according to the rules OF japanese
gardening Another beautiful example OF the
1lkkei shape is ninety-fve years old. and was
trained by Zarucho Of Toxic. The kengai
shape. OF which there were several good spcci-
mems. represents plant as hanging from
precpce with the 'Cots exposed This is pro
duced by years Of patient training. by a process
not understood except by the gardeners Of the
East In another STYLE the mikoshi. the lower
part OF the tree is hidden that It appears best
when viewed from distance.
Besides the chabo- hibas The collection included
many other still rarer plants Among them MAS
the summer wstaria. which bears white flowers.
the tennoboku with it's red berries; the narrow
leafed umbrella palm: the sciriu- hiha. or weep
Ing cedar and various dwarfed palms and ham
boos There were dwarfed larches trained into
the forms Of japanese cranes. turtles boats.
and pyramids Others were Of conical
shape some OF them represent ne Mount FuJi-
yama All were small the height seldom ex-
eeeding one and half or two feet There were
many examples Of skilful grating.
Some Of the processes by means OF which ever
Greens are dwarfed and trained in Japan were
Described by Mr. lava, the gardener Of the i'm
periai japanese commission to the Columbian