The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-13
NEW BOOKS.

A JAPANESE GARLAND. By Florence Peltier.
Illustrated Boston,: Lothrops Publishing
company. Price, IS cents.
This book was intended by the author
for children's reading, but there are few
adults who will not take real pleasure
from its pages. It is all about Japan,
and most every book about the land of the
dawn, the "land where the sun comes
FROM tells Of the love Of the japanese
for all that is beautiful in nature. The
Japanese Garland reflects this aesthetic
element in Japanese character. Yone was
a Japanese boy adapted by an American
gentleman, and he relates the stories Of
flowers and trees Of Japan and the legends
concerning them, to the boys and girls Of
the neighborhood. The series of lectures
embodies a large amount of interesting
information about Japanese customs and
superstitions Every tree and flower: has
it's special symbolry and tradition. Yone
was skilful little artist himself, and his
lectures to- the children were brought
about by a painting he made Of gar
land of flowers and leaves from nature.
The work was SO beautiful and showed
such correct ideas Of harmony Of color
and appropriateness, that it was much
admired, and the boy explained the mean
ing to the people Of Japan of the pine
leaves, pink peach blossoms, cherry flow
ers, lavender wistaria blooms, iris, peo-
MES, lotus flowers and leaves, chrysanthe-
NUNS and maple leay es. He told OF
dwarf pine trees in Japan which were
800 years old. The dwarf trees are handed
down in some family, generation after
generation. The plum blossom they call
the eldest brother to a hundred flow
ers," because it comes in February, the
first flower Of the spring. The book is
brImming with beautiful Japanese con-
cepts born Of highly poetical natures.
THE FLOWER GARDENER. A HANDBOOK
OF PRACTICAL GARDEN LORE. By Ida D.
| Bennett. Illustrated. New York: Mcclure,
| Phillips & Co.: Minneapolis: N. Mccarthy.
Price, So. f. = ~ -. -...' =
The increase of books about gardens
and nature and birds in these days is
| noticeable, and more noticeable Is the fac
that the most attractive books of this
kind are written by women. 1t is vel
for men to yield this field to them in large
| measure. Women seem to understand
gardening and flowers better than men
| In this book, which is devoted to thorol1
practical gardening, the author makes
suggestions which show. that she is prob
ably a more scientific and all around
gardener than Adam himself the frs
gardener of the human race She Show
how it Is possible for everybody with {
piece Of ground about his house or a win
dow which the sun reaches, to have
little garden which will brighten ant
cheer the whole household She fur
nishes advice which for those who act OF
4 it will make many a very unattractiv
! place a delight to the eye. She discusse
| the proper location and arrangement o
a garden, kind Of soil and fertilizer
needed, tells how to start seeds, to trans
plant and repot, how to have outsid
window boxes Of flowers, how to trea
vines, foliage plants, Dubious and tube
rous-rooted plants, and aquatic and rose
beds, lily beds and how to care for hous
I plants in winter, and she gives a list Q
common and English names of flower
and the blooming season Of leading va
rieties of trees, shrubs and plants. Their
is chapter of "Odds and Ends" sugges
tons about tools, destruction of insect
with formulas for destroying bugs, glove
for gardening, ETC., and in the chapter c
"Dont's,'' the woman gardener will fin
; prohibitions of which she will do well
take heed. The book is well indexed an
the illustrations are profuse and both use
full and beautiful ~