INTRODUCTION 



lodged a spray of flowers. His cart was loaded 

 in such a manner that he could not merely 

 drop the shafts, but was obliged to brace 

 them in a cleft in some rocks on the other 

 side of the road. He then took a long 

 stick and fished out the flowers, but, as he 

 reached over to take them in his hand, the 

 petals all fluttered back into the stream. 

 He simply laughed and tossed the twig 

 after the flowers. 



This man was the lowest type and accus- 

 tomed to the hardest labor, yet even to him 

 the beauty of flowers appealed. 



Is it strange, therefore, that we look to the 

 Japanese nation for a perfect arrangement of 

 the flowers they so truly appreciate? 



