GARDENS AND GARDENING 45 



China is a land of contrariety — a land whereof no general 

 statement or observation holds good. In spite of their love 

 for the grotesque and the artificial landscapes seen in their 

 gardens, the Chinese have a strong appreciation of natural 

 beauty. This is evidenced by the sites chosen for their temples 

 and shrines and for the tombs of the wealthy. Apart from 

 situation, which is usually perfect, such sanctuaries always 

 nestle beneath theshade of magnificent trees, and areapproached 

 as a rule through avenues or groves of large trees. Though a 

 few deciduous trees are commonly found, evergreens always 

 have distinctive preference. In the temple grounds around 

 Peking are noble avenues of Arbor-vitae [Thuya orientalis), 

 Juniper {Juniperus chinensis), Elm [Ulmus pumila), and 

 Sophora (5. japonica) ; in the south, centre, and west of the 

 Empire, Pine [Pinus Massuniana), China Fir [Cunninghamia 

 lanceolata) , Cypress {Cupressus funehris), Nanmu [Machilus 

 nanmu, and allied species), " Yu-la shu " [Photinia Davidsoniai), 

 Wintergreen [Xylosma racemosum), Banyan [Ficus infectoria), 

 and a few other kinds of trees are always present. Many of 

 these trees are extremely rare, except in the precincts of 

 religious sanctuaries. 



The world at large does not reahze how deeply it is indebted 

 to religious communities for the preservation of many trees. 

 In Europe, for example, most of the best varieties of Pears 

 originated in the gardens attached to religious establishments 

 in France and Belgium and were introduced into England 

 and other countries after the battle of Waterloo. In China, 

 where every available bit of land is devoted to agriculture, 

 quite a number of trees must long ago have become extinct but 

 for the timely intervention of Buddhist and Taouist priests. 

 The most noteworthy example of this benevolent preserva- 

 tion is the Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo hiloha). This strikingly 

 beautiful tree is associated with temples, shrines, courtyards 

 of palaces, and mansions of the wealthy throughout the 

 length and breadth of China, and also in parts of Japan. But 

 it is nowhere truly wild, and is a relic of a very ancient flora. 

 Geological evidence shows that it is the last survivor of an 

 ancient family, which flourished during Secondary times, and 

 can even be traced back to the Primary rocks. In Mesozoic 



