Evening star., 1900-10-06
DWARF PLANTS OF JAPANESE.
They Have Become Hobby, With
English ArbOriculturists.

From the London Standard.
The sale at Willis rooms Of ali extensive
collection Of Japanese dwarfed trees indi-
Gates the rise Of new hobby" In this
country. A few years ago these quaint and
often beautiful artifcalities were unknown
here, but increasing Intercourse with Japan
and the growth of sympathy with its art
have had their effect and the curiosities Of
its garden craft have recently come into
considerable favor. The graceful ortglnali-
ty and soft, delicate blendings Of Japanese
flower arrangements are already familiar
to those who delight in the captivating ar
tistry of the islands. The Idea Of these
miniature forests would hardly have oc-
CURED except to a race which takes infin-
ite pleasure in the tiny. The true sons and
daughters Of Nippon love to walk in dimin-
utive gardens adorned with little sheets Of
water spanned by Llipptian, bridges and
planted with dwarfed trees. Conventional
1t may all b. but its very fancifulness is an
other charm to the western, eye. Trees
such as are to be put up to auction by
Messrs. Robinson and Fisher today are.
however. intended chiefly for the adorn-
ment Of the house-they form q pretty and
permanent table decoration. The col
lection contains a red leaf maple which has
all the appearance OF venerable age. yet 1t
is only thirteen inches high and stands
in china pot. Then there, are two ex-
ceedingly remarkable specimens Of Lark
Leptolepsis. one said to be 19O and the
ty-six and the elder only: twenty inches
high. yet both have the Meather-worn look
Of forest pines Of great age. Most of these
dwarts, even those which are. ,grotesquely
tha. one ne is looking thro6ghs he small end
of TELESCOPES at greA and stately free
which might hide hunted king or help to
build a navy Is complete. ID
The blossoming fruit trees are especially
pleasing, and when they are covered with
bloom as they were very few weeks ago.
arc unquestionably lovely, The dwarfed
wistarias. for example. are not only -ex-
ceedingly graceful in appearance, but bear
long, sweet1scented blooms. white or vio-
let Lightness and grace are the charac-
teristics Of most Of these dwarfs. but here
and there we f1nd one so somber and fun
ereal as to remind OF the clipped Eng
hsh yew. The topiary art, indeed. has con-
siderable attraction for the Japanese ar
boriculturist. and this collection includes
q bird shaped In the living foliage. man
on a bicycle and more than one monkey.
1t Is obvious that much care and diligence
are needed for these successful interfer-
ences with the course of nature. The Sc
CT ret Of dwarf1ng trees which would other
wise attain splendid dimensions Is to keep
them "pot-bound. to pinch back the buds
and to permit the growth OF only a few
lateral branches. 1t is not always easy to
be certain of the age Of trees which nave
been treated in this way, but 1t Is said that
really ancient specimens are to be found IN
Japan Some Of the great families-and the
Japanese aristocracy have very long pedi-
grees-claim to possess dwarf trees Whlcn
have been in their possession for many
generations. and they are priced as the
English country gentleman Of Icing descent
prizes his family portraits. The japanese
empire received it's original ideas OF gar
dening from China and no doubt we may
see in the artificial dwarfing Of trees the
same underlying idea leads to the distor-
ton Of women's feet. But 1t cannot be said
that the results are equally unpleasant.
There is indeed, something very captivat-
ing about this development Of the fantastic
eastern fancy. so closely in harmony with
those artistic instincts which In Japan have
always turned to trees and flowers for their
inspiration.