Evening star., 1921-03-27

1910, were condemned as infected and
destroyed by the plant inspectors of the
Department of Agriculture. DR.. Taxa
mine cabled for more. and 1920 trees
arrived in 1911 and passed all the tests
and inspections. Both consignments
were offered in the name of the city of
Toxic in order that Washington. like
the Japanese capital. might enjoy such
a riverside avenue as the Mukojima and
such scenes as the holiday crowds enjoy
in Uyeno Park on the first Sunday in
April.
MO other flower in all the world is
= SO beloved and worshiped as
sakura-no-hana, the cherry blossom
of Japan. 1t is Nihon-ga-hana, 'the
flower of Japan" and if one says
flower without specifying. cherry
blossom is always understood. 1t is
the national flower, the symbol of
purity, the emblem of chivalry and
knightly honor. the crest of cult
whose yernal celebrations have been
observed with unfiagging zeal for at
least two thousand years. 1t is ia
pans own flower. more omnipresent
than the chrysanthemum and indigo
nous to the soil of the wild Yamato
hillsides and to the heart of tn
home provinces" that surround Nara
and kioto. In the early centuries
Yamato rulers brought branches of
sakura back from their hunting par
ties in the mountains and planted
them in the palace grounds.
In the fifth century the emperor and
his court used to go to the Palace
OF the Young Cherry Trees" near
Nara to view the blossoms and make
boating excursions on the cherry
bordered lake The court had garden
parties in their honor and the custom
continues izx
all the empire is given over to holi-
day pleasures while the sakuras are
on Millions OF poems have been
written 10 the cherry blossoms and
tied TO the branches of blossoming
erees. and in this age OF steam and
= electricity the cult continues. Hide
Eoshi. the Taiko. man of blood and
iron of those days. the Napoleon Of
Japan, held cherry blossom and
poetry party of ten thousand guests
at hIS golden palace on Momoyama
one spring, and again had as many
assembled to do honor to the trees
at Ioshino, in lamato. the very home
OF the sakcra, the classic spot where
all the hills and ravines are masses
OF pink and white bloom and there
are THE ten thousand trees at a
glance as one arrives. and as many
moro in other famous views.
All the 130 varieties have been
evolved from the little fve-petaled
the mountains. even to blossoms as
large as a Cherokee rose and to great
roscttes of "many-fold" "hundred-
petal and "thousand-petal' flowers
BY grating. and with peachsand pear,
other qualities have been secured
but there always remains the distinc-
tive heart-shaped petal with the in
dentation on its edge as II nipped by a
. sparrow's beak. Artists and artisans
painters. decorators and designers
N rah he. g.,
of the cherry more than any other
. one motive. and in Japan one is never
without such representation in sight
in heraldry. ornament OF every do
mestic utterance.
Every spring-tine tourist in Japan
used to wonder why our American
parks and gardens were not also
converted into fairyland in spring
by the planting Of Japanese cherry
trees. but when any such wondering
commissioners and kindred auto
Gratis. tho returned tourist soon found
why There had been vain pleading
with successive superintende of
in Washington for twenty-four years
before direct appeal was made TO
Mrs Taft. who, with instant COM
prehension. literally pressed the but
ton and gave orders that 100 Jap
anese cherry trees should be pro-
cured and planted at once. All the
nurserymen around New York could
only produce eighty trees, but they
were planted within the week.
r. X
Al S long ago as the winter of 1885,
1885 It was urged upon the su-
.pecfntendent of public buildings and
Er0unds that. since they had to plant
someehing on the dreary stretches
Of reclaimed ground at the foot of
1zth.Otpeet. they might better plant