Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-07
JAPANESE DWASF TREES
How They Are prodlced-rhe a.leo-

ton and Survival Of the untitsest.
STAGED near The door OF NO.
House" at Kew Gardens are three
moaerat sized flower pots. the con-
tents OF which can hardly fail 10 at
tract the notice Of curious visitor.
/ The pots contain three expresses II
! close upon a century 5 growth, wa'eh
are yet hardy more than Two let
I high Each tee IS perfect model OF
some veteran of the woods, with
enarleG ard twisted roots protludns
from the surface Of the soil. l1eir
stems and branches bearing eYe.E syn
of age. three forest trees in mi1ia-
ture. as grown so largely by tha Jap
| anese.
At first sight this cult of re
dwarf tree" which is carried TO such
perfection by the natives Of japan
| thar il forms with their upper class
es part OF liberal education, may
seem childish and even "aaton
sport-thus TO crib, cabin ard contine
the natural energy Of noble trees But
II must be remembered that IN Jap
anese horticulture the art of landscape
gardening in miniature plays an I'M
portant part: town OF village with
surrounding country. viii be formed
within a plot Of ground a few YARDS
SQUARE. A river with its BRIDGES.
lake with tiny ships upon its breast
roads, gardens, fields, form part OF
the design This borne in mihd, II
will AT once be clear that If the tiny
model is to exhibit that perfect accu'
racy which its creators love trees
grown to scale are necessary for IT'S
completion. and hence the cult Of the
dwarf tree. Alaone dcccuous trees
thus treated are the oak, pome2lan-
ate. plum, cherry and otheis; but
couifers, such as pInus denslilola'
minus abb flora and especially lhe
Thuya. are more commonly used, anu
this for the obvious reason that their
leaves exhibit less dsproportion TO
the general design than would, for IN
stance. those of an oak or plum tree
two feet high Dwarf oaks and pome-
granates of $50 years growth are IN
existence, while maple has attained
the age Of $50 years.
TO many people the method OF
producing these curiosIiias OF arbofi'
culture is Htll a mystery; an intell-
gent gardener. well acquainted with
the little trees by si@ht recently
acl,nuwledged entire ignorance Of how
they were grown, and indeed "e@'
pectcl the Japs kept that to them
sc'yes- Tut the course TO he pur'
sued is perfectly simple; the Whole
system Of culture may be summed up
as being the exact reverse Of nature
way-tho survival. or rather perhaps
the selection. of the "un,ittest' me
best. although the sloTest, method is
IN raise the tree from seed poor
and shriyeled seed Is chosen ana
nlanted, As soon as the leading shoot
hes attained some little growth it 10
cut short off The little tree, recover
ing from this rude and unexpected
shock. puts out two further shoots
, the growth OF these is watched unhl
} one of the to-p exhibits markedly
greater o.. crcth anG vitality chan its
for~s when II is removed ard the
= weaker reserved to form the trees
main stem The same system of check
and announcement Is maintained all
through the future growth. Water IS
given grudeingly and only in sur
ficient quantities - keep the tree
alive. It is kept in pot too small
5 for the full development Of its roots
; and these, moreover, are severely
, prunad. the taproot bein- wholly or
in part removed. The shoots, mean
t ! while. are trained and bent to mimic
in their growth the branches Of an
aged tree sometimes being tied in
{ knots. The stem is occasionally twist
ed round a block OF coral or of mad
, repore; in some case the growth OF
the roots and collar of the tree Is
. made a special feature, being abnor-
9 mally encouraged till the roofs appear
, in disproportionate size above the
{ surface Of the soil in which the tree is
grown. The training Of the branches
over frames resembling in their shape
the figure of a man or animal is
more popular in China thah among
e the japanese
a OF other methods grating is much
c employed, particularly with the ma
l. pie. Of which several varieties are
/. sometimes grown upon a single stem,
Il thus producing bizarre display Of
i foliage. Or the. intending Pc SCISSOR Of
g forest in miniature searches among
" the mountains till he finds, In somo
1 cleft of the rocks where a stray seed
:. has fallen from a passing bird OF
drfted with the wind, shoot Of the
tree required, struggling precariously
:, against adversely. This he appro-
X PIRATES, continues by art the hard
and discouTaging nature Of its former
= SURROUNDINGS and is thus saved scV-
l. eral years growth; bus the result is
seldom quite rs satisfactory as when
: the tree is grown from seed.