The St. Louis Republic., 1901-03-17
FLORAL RANK IN JAPAN.
Peony the Favorite Flower of the
Upper Glasses.

With such titles as ten thousand times
sprinkled with gold. and disheveied mar
in morning sleep" fresh IN MS memory
rangernent of flowers Is part OF the edaca-
tion, 1t must be something of shock to
the Japanese visiting this country to hear
anthemums and to find how reckiessly
Americans arrange bouquets. He appre-
ciates that as a nation we. are mucn less
fond of flowers than are his people. and
the pleasing sensations produced by tne!r
beauty. In Japan the arrangement Of them eii,
is pursued as an n, art rank pehs esosoPphsrs anS
priests, besides learned and literary men.
Ladies' of the aristocracy are allowed 70
practice the art as being likely TO INSPIRE pl,
denial, forgetfulness Of care and spiritual
ity. A lifetime is indeed not too long for
the japanese. either man or woman 20 .,,htIe a
meaning conveyed by flowers and the rig
orous rules necessary to observe IN pro
iucine with them the best artistic results.
edTed In s1 BE- the roya oWer of China
still the favorite Of the upper classes. II
is given on occasions Of Importance the poii
ston Of honor on the da1s IN IN tb Ine center Of
the room nor on a shelf. and no otneI s,
flower is allowed to come near ITS roya, a
presence. Sometimes art dictates tnat ,Wo %o
abundant life and beauty. The lotus flower
aSS Is q sssa to 1sHs 9y of ndaa
ers. On festal days the japanese never use M
it. as they associate. It entirely with the
spirit Of the dead. The idea OF floral RANK
Is one to which the japanese are very sen
sitive. and the established laws OF prece-
dence must be closely adhered to In the ar
rangement Of their flowers T an ibat 9sey
should have placed the purple wistaria
high above the white. which they mostly
exclude from their compositions;
garded as difficult of arrangement. and
therefore the most arbitrary rules have
been evolved for their composition. with
lowed. with two flowers seven or fifteen
leaves are used, three flowers are given
thirteen leaves and five flowers are fur
nished with eleven leaves.
So deftiy are thoughts conveyed by the
arrangement Of flowers in Japan that often
verbal messages are unnecessary. In No
yember the coaustte sends to her her lover 10 "a a
translates. "her love has charged"
turning flowers" because they bloom twice
of a safe return. Before people that are Ill
blossoms Of a sturdy, vigorous growth are
placed, that health and strength may be
suggested. Our very gay flowers are strewn
FOR pi those in affiietion. % Prayers for rain are
accompanied by large floral pieces 80 ar
ranged as to point from right to left. that
the east wind bringing rain may be hon.
ored, and. very naturally. the reverse or
der typifying the west wind is employed
when fair weather IS desired
Border Of the thin mist: shades of the
evening sun; waves in the morning sun {:
companion of the men; snow on the leaf
of the bamboo; moons halo; spray-capped
wave: starlit night; beacon light; the sky
at dawn: first snow and golden dew. are
arnc ng the mary imaginative and pretty
names the japanese bestow on their chrys-
anthe emuns-these flowers which appeal so
strongly to their poetic natures. In the ar
rangement of them they are very careful
to guard against seven faults. Their stems
must not be OF the same length: single
blossom must not turn its back. nor pI esent
It's full face; three flowers must not appear
to form a triangle: they must not be hidden
by leaves, nor must they be arranged in
the way Of steps: an oren. full blossom
should never be be placed at az the base s Of the
fall between two others like in color