The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-01
NEW BOOK NEWS
CONDUCTED BY MARTHA YOUNG

a
 Jananese Floral Calendar. by Ear nest W. Clement The papers forming this charming book of the New Year have been appearing in the Open Court Monthly Magazine. The gathering all in a volume beautifully illustrated makes . welcome New Year Gift Book
 Everything Japanese is of special interest now. with the eyes Of all the world turned toward the brave little island.
 The Eastern World has already learned many lessons from Japan. From Japan we learned the beauty o4 . single flower for decorative purposes. Who does not recall the old arrange ment of a bouquet. many blooms or many textures; oolors. kinds, perfumes, the stems run through nat piece or arbor-vitaef An ornament. And this combination stuck into an impossipie vase with gliding and round ht1e
 Now we nave a single long stemmed rose with its own leaves In a clear glass vase.
 It is so fitting. so fair. so satisfy ing
 And we forget that Japan taught the lesson.
 The Japanese more than any other people know the value of flowers.
 The actual value to teach love of beauty, tenderness of association. to bring best inspiration, to preserve old treasures of folk lore, to Illustrate brave old tales of valor. For what na- ton, but our own. has not its national fiowerf The rose of England, the lily of France. the thistle and broom and heather of scotland's highlands and lowlands the shamrock of Ireland. the leak of Wales, the chrysanthemum or Japan
 The flowers taken by the months dedicated to them. treated of In this
 The pine. the plum. the peach, the cherry. the wistaria the iris the morn ing-glory, the lotus, the nanchusas the maple, the chrysanthemum the camel lia.
 The most of these grow in our Southern gardens. But we have not flowers at the season oS their utmost perfection, nor do we often address poems to them. The pine. of course is emblem of constancy, of longevity. It, with bamboo (our cane is nearest akin to bamboo) is sent to friends as d New Year gift, the two being em- blematic of long life and uprightness- As in English the word pine has two meanings so the Japanese word for pine has the Iiketwo meanings: Mat su" meaning the tree and also "to wait" so in Japanese the poems of the pine often hold a pun on the name. aas
 'Matsu ga ne no
 Matsu koto tohomt" ,..~ ,,- AA. -R-o Aunn~ ,,1Yat sfond and pine.")
 The wistaria, flower native to our. Southern forests. we call 1t Virgins Bower" is highly esteemed in Japan. 70 lovely wistaria, now in bloom, Irvine thy twigs, even though broken, To those people who pass by thee Without stopping to admire thy beauty. Men dare not pass away without look
 ing
 At the wistaria, in a wave of beauty. Though my small garden be humble With nothing attractive to the eye
 -, else.',
 Of the festival of the Iris much is written: 'Tn Tokyo the most famous show of this flower is at Houkiri. where in ponds and trenches grow acres of such deur-de-lis as no Bour- hon ever knew I dare say no Bonr~ bon, no, nor Mikado, either, ever saw flowers of iris in more profusion or splendor of beauty than they are to be seen in Mobile marshes in May. As the trains sweep out of the Gulf City 1t carries one through acres of these perfect flowers, but alas! who holds an Iris Festival? Who goes to visit that rich spread of beauty9
 There are interesting old folk-lore tales told of the Chrysanthemum, many of the names of the favorite flower of Japsn are given. The festival of this dower is now practically merged into that of the Emperor's birthday, when this wish Is on the lips of every loyal subject of Japan:
 Let the Emperor live forever. May he see the chrysanthemum cup go