THE PLUM. ii 



And, as the plum is the earliest of blossoms, it is called "the eldest 

 brother of the hundred flowers," "the eldest flower of mother earth," 

 and "the first of flowers." 



The plum is symbolic of womanly virtue and sweetness ; and 

 "O Ume San" is a favorite name for girls. This blossom is "often 

 drawn athwart the moon" ; and it is commonly associated with the 

 nightingale (iiguisu), which "hides and sings among the flowers." 

 This association, not merely in art but also in literature, is illus- 

 trated both in the second poem quoted above and in the following 

 (Piggott's): 



"Home friends change and change, 



Years pass quickly by 

 Scent of our ancient plum-tree, 

 Thou dost never die. 



"Home friends are forgotten; 



Plum-tree blossoms fair, 

 Petals falling to the breeze, 

 Leave their fragrance there. 



"Cettria's* fancy too 



Finds his cap of flowers, 

 Seeks his peaceful hiding-place 

 In the plum's sweet bowers. 



"Though the snow-flakes hide 



And thy blossoms kill, 

 He will sing, and I shall find 

 Fragrant incense still." 



The most famous places for plum-trees are Kameido, near 

 Tokyo ; Sugita, near Yokohama ; and Tsukigase, about twenty-five 

 miles from Nara. The Ume-Yashiki, or Plum Mansion, at Kameido, 

 is famous for its Gwaryobai, literally "Recumbent Dragon Plums," 

 over five hundred in all and very old ; the large original tree is said 

 to have resembled a dragon lying upon the ground. Tsukigase is 

 renowned for the plum-trees which line the bank of the Kidzu River 

 for more than two miles. It is said that "no other place in Japan 

 can boast of such a show of the pink and white flowers of this fra- 

 grant tree." The Tokiwa Park of Mito is famous for its large grove 

 of plum-trees, originally one thousand in number, planted in 1837 

 by the old Prince Rekko. 



There are said to be sixty different species of plum-trees in 

 Japan. To go and see that blossom is a most delightful pastime 



*The ugitisii is known in science as cettria cantons. 



