XVII 

 THE JAPANESE GARDEN IN AMERICA 



QUAINT ACCESSORIES COMBINED WITH UNUSUAL 

 LANDSCAPE FEATURES 



THE ever-increasing demand for novelty in the 

 ornamenting of country seats has of late years led to 

 pleasing results in the reproduction of the best types 

 of oriental gardens. Less than a decade ago an 

 authority on landscape gardening lamented the fact 

 that Americans are slow in appreciating the true art 

 of gardening in regard to the idea of fitness and 

 harmony in details, as evidenced by Japanese land- 

 scape artists. The statement was then made that 

 while there have been a few attempts at copying 

 Japanese methods, there is not a genuine Japanese 

 garden constructed upon true oriental principles 

 to be found upon any of our noted American country 

 seats. Now all this has changed. Within the past few 

 years many famous gardens have been constructed 

 by genuine Japanese craftsmen, who have given their 

 entire lives to the study of the religious and symbolic, 

 as well as the picturesque features of landscape gar- 

 dening; and who have carried out with painstaking 

 care, upon occidental acres, the artistic details that 

 have made oriental gardens of world-wide fame. 



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