144 



smallest pots until they are root-bound ; then transplanting into a large pot, in 

 which the root crown is raised up above the pot in order that the root ball 

 may have full benefit from the soil. After the year of transplantation, wide 

 annual rings are produced at first, which become narrower as the plant be- 

 comes root-bound until the growth has become very slight and the last 

 annual ring formed is made up of a few, browned autumn-wood tracheids. 

 In this way the stilt-like trunk bases, borne on the freely exposed root 

 branches, are produced. The crown is probably kept thick by a light cutting 

 back of the tips of the branches, obtaining thereby a greater ramification. 

 In the same way the root balls might have been pruned at each transplanting. 

 We conclude from the porous places filled with full-cork, which occur 

 scattered in the bark, that the trees have been kept wet. At any rate w^e 

 would have no difficulty in growing trees in such decorative dwarf forms 

 from the genera Thuja, Thujopsis. r)iota, Cupressus and similar ones by 

 limiting the soil content. 



A corresponding treatment is recommended here and there for de- 

 ciduous trees and plants. In forcing w'oody blossoming plants it is desirable 

 to have for sale small specimens as full of bloom as possible. To attain 

 this end, the bushes are planted in small pots, cut back and kept until spring, 

 as long as possible, in cool dark cellars in order to retard the growth beyond 

 the natural time of awakening. Ice cellars serve best in this connection. 

 When vegetation has advanced considerably out of doors the plants are 

 brought out. They now find a very dififerent combination of vegetative 

 factors for the maturing of their growth. Instead of moist spring air, a 

 comparatively slight warmth of the sun and long, cool nights, the plant finds 

 dry, bright, long days with little precipitation. As a result the branches re- 

 main short and the eyes easily develop blossom buds. 



It will not be out of place to call attention to the fact, that in keeping 

 the bushes in warm cellars, an opposite result is obtained, — namely, abso- 

 lute unfitness for forcing. The warm, dark place where they are kept pro- 

 duces deformed, very premature shoots, which, when brought at last into 

 the open air, either dry up or gradually and slowly lengthen to whip-like, 

 blossomless wands. The stored-up material has been wasted in the cellar 

 in forming the deformed shoots. 



especially small seeds from under- developed plants. These little trees are pruned 

 and transplanted frequently into as small pots as possible. The cross-.s«ction 

 described above in the text shows this. Further, the trunk and branches are 

 twisted and bent toward the horizontal. It is said that the root ball is cooled. 

 Amongr vari'eties of plants used especially in .Japan for the growth of dwarfs are 

 mentioned the tov varieties of Acer palmatum, which are budded, "greffe par 

 apDroacho." Further Pinus massoniana and P. densiflora, Podocarpus Nageia, 

 Sciadopytis verticillata. Amonir fruit trees the Kaki plum. Diospyros Kaki, is 

 suitable for this, the Mume-plum, Prunus Mume and Sakura, Prunus Pseudocerasus, 

 ns well as Amygdalus Persica. Among decorative plants arc mentioned Evonymous 

 Japonica and the bamboo. 



♦ "Zwergbilduner im Pflanzenreich" Gartenwelt, 1904, No. 49. 



** Rein, J. J., Japan nach Reisen und Studien. Leipzig', Engelmann. Vol. II., 

 p. 315. 



*** Ideta Arata. Lehrbuch der Pflanzenkrankheiten in Japan. 3rd Ed. Tokio, 

 Shokwabo, 1903. 



