THE JAPANESE FLORAL CALENDAR. 



The pines in front of the gate are placed in pairs : the rougher 

 and more prickly one, called the male, on the left, which is the 

 side of honor in Japan ; the softer and more graceful one, called the 

 female, on the right. The custom of adding bamboos is of more 



recent origin. This custom of gate decorations originated, by the 

 way, with the common people. 



The other decorations include a rope, specially named shime- 

 nawa, with the strips of white paper, a cray-fish, ferns, a large 

 orange, called daidai, a leaf or two of an evergreen tree, dried per- 

 simmons, dried chestnuts, etc. Each one of these articles has its 



