44 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



make walking comfortable in the garden when the soil is wet, a 

 pathway is invariably constructed with stepping stones. The 

 Japanese gardeners follow carefully devised rules in placing these 

 stones, in order that they may be walked upon with ease. In 

 ancient times it is said that the height of these stones was governed 

 by the importance of the individual owner; that those in the em- 

 peror's gardens were made six inches high, those for a daimio four 

 inches, those for ordinary samurai nearly three inches, and those for 

 common folks an inch and a half. 



Stone lanterns form a feature of all Japanese gardens. These 

 are not used solely to illuminate the grounds, but for their archi- 

 tectural effects. Often they are not lighted, and if they are, their 

 function is to ])roduce a dim, mysterious glow, or to cast a dim, red 

 light which is reflected in the water or pools of the garden. These 

 lanterns are many and varied in shape, and are divided into two 

 classes, the "standard" and "legged." 



The stone tower or pagoda is a garden accessory frequently seen 

 in Japanese gardens. These are finely decorative, and consist of 

 two, three, five or more separated roofed stages. 



The water basin is found in all Japanese gardens, situated gener- 

 ally close to the dwelling, but considered a part of the garden com- 

 position. Its purpose is to provide water for washing the hands and 

 it is so placed as to be easily accessible from the house or veranda. 

 In many gardens this basin has come to be used chiefly for orna- 

 mentation, and it is therefore removed farther from the building. 

 These basins vary much in shape and size, but each has its definite 

 name. 



The bridges are quite an important feature in Japanese gardens. 

 Water is another essential element in their composition, and if 

 water is not available the gardens are frequently so arranged with 

 sanded water-courses and carefully arranged pebbles and stones, 

 that the effect is produced of a dried-up water-course. This makes 

 the use of bridges essential. These vary in their structure from a 

 simple plank laid over the water-course to elaborate stone bridges. 

 The presence of water in the gardens makes possible also the intro- 

 duction of secondary features, such as cascades, rivers, islands and 

 the like. These cascades and islands often have special names, as, 

 for example, the "Windswept Isle," the "Guest's Isle," the "Moun- 

 tain Isle," or the "Rock Isle." 



