General Aspects of Commercial Gardening 13 



Photo. Clias. L. Clarke 



Fig. 1. Clipped Trees and Shrubs 



Japanese Gardening 1 . Although the introduction of the beautiful 

 Japanese plants that now contribute to the charm of British gardens 

 belongs to the distant past, it was not until some fifty years ago that 

 commercial cultivators gave serious attention to the Japanese flora with 

 a view to obtain some other of its members for the further enrichment 

 of our gardens. If until the middle of the last century Japan was not 

 exactly a sealed book to the seeker after new forms of tree and plant 

 life, the restrictions imposed upon the members of other nationalities 

 were such as to render it extremely difficult for them to obtain access 

 to the country, much less to explore meadow or woodland, or plain or 

 mountain, and bring away on their return home the spoils of the ex- 

 ploration. The removal of these restrictions by the opening of the 

 Japanese ports to foreigners rather more than half a century ago gave 



