Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-02-28
JAPANESE LOVE FLOWERS.

Importance of Blossoms to People OF
Island Empire.
American and Europeans may have a
love for flowers, but the people of
Japan show in many ways that beauti-
full blossoms fill much larger place
in their hearts than in those of any
other people. From the members Of the
royal family to the poorest beggar in
the streets the love seems to be innate.
In the palaces of Toxic there are ex-
quisite vases of every description
which are daily filled with rare bios
SONS. But the peasant in his paper
hut Is quite as particular to fill his
bamboo vases with some blossom.
Should one chance to stay at a hotel
more than twenty-four hours he will
find fresh flowers every day to replen-
ish those which greeted him on his ar
rival. Even the half-naked coolie will
have a flower of some kind stuck be-
hind his ear. At every corner and all
along the streets there are numerous
flower merchants and it is seldom that
Japanese beggar will hesitate to
part with his last coin to purchase a
blossom. Parents choose flower names
for their daughters and Japanese lady
always adorns her person with the
flowers which are appropriate to the
season, says the New York Herald.
No visitor to the land Of the cherry
blossom festival has failed to describe
this most important occasion. The
opening of the season is the blooming
of this flower and it is a national holt
day. Thousands of people, dressed in
their best, wander about all day under
the arch of overhanging rose-red trees,
refreshing themselves with tea or rice
wine at the teahouses or buying souve-
Mrs of the occasion at the many little
shops erected for the day. Each own
er of a cherry orchard has his own pri-
vate festival and sends out invitations,
ornamented with cherry blossoms, to
his especial friends. All sorts of games
are played and in the evening thou
sands Of lanterns are hung on the trees.
The royal court invites the nobility and
the diplomatic corps to a garden party.
1t is also the season for family picnics,
which are looked forward to through
out the year by the humber classes.
Only too soon is the cherry blossom
festival at an end.
The Japanese cherries are not intend
ed to be eaten, but their value is sim
ply in the blossom. 1t is the most lux
uriant bloom Of all and Of such i'm
portance that before the bursting of tha
blossoms the fact is advertised in all
the local papers. The cherry tree some
times grows as tall as an oak and dur
ing the time of bloom it is so laden
with flowers that not vestige Of leaf
is visible. The flowers have also a sin
gular and delicate perfume.
Japanese women have a pretty Gus
tom Of making their dresses correspond
to the flowers which are in season. At
the cherry blossom festival they wear
kimonos embroidered with the flower so
much in evidence then. When the
azalea season comes this garment is re-
placed with one covered with effective
sprays Of the varicolored azaleas and
this in turn gives way before the wis
taria and chrysanthemum.
In the arrangement Of their flowers
the people of Japan show great artistic
taste. Each separate bud is allowed
it's chance to be admired A single
flower held by a crystal vase makes
feast for the eyes which is not forth
coming when dozens of the blossoms
are crowded together and their indi-
vidual charm entirely lost