54 



The Japanese Floral Calendar. 



names like "star-like flower," "flower of a thousand gen- 

 erations," "younger brother of the flowers," "old man's 

 flower," "virgin flower," etc. The chrysanthemum is also 

 one of the "Four Gentlemen," so called on account of their 

 vigorous qualities, the plum, the orchid, the bamboo, and 

 the chrysanthemum. 



But in Japan there is one place where it is said to be un- 

 lucky to raise chrysanthemums, that is, in Himeji. The 

 reason therefor will be evident from the following story, 



CHRYSANTHEMUM VENDER. 



related by Lafcadio Hearn in his Glimpses of Unfamiliar 

 Japan : 



"Himeji contains the ruins of a great castle of thirty 

 turrets ; and a daimyo used to dwell therein whose revenue 

 was one hundred and fifty-six thousand koku of rice. Now, 

 in the house of one of that daimyo's chief retainers was a 

 maid servant of good family, whose name was O-Kiku; 

 and the name 'Kiku' signifies a chrysanthemum flower. 

 Many precious things were entrusted to her charge, and 



