156 



Garden and Forest. 



[May 23, 



Pictures of Japan. 



A N interesting collection of pictures of scenes in Japan was 

 -^~^ recently exhibited in the Reichard gallery on Fifth Ave- 

 nue. The painter, Mr. Theodore Wores, is a yoiuig Califor- 

 nian, who, after completing his studies atMunich, passed three 

 years in Japan and is now established in a New York studio. 

 Some of his pictures represented street-life in the Island-em- 

 pire or works of architecture, but many dealt with themes of 

 e.xceptional attraction to lovers of flowers and students of gar- 

 dening art. In one, for example, we saw a long avenue of 

 pink-blossoming Plum-trees, with a couple of young girls ex- 

 amining the strips of paper, inscribed with impromptu verses, 

 which, in accordance with a pretty national custom, are fre- 

 quently hung on these favorite trees when they are in flower 

 and the people go in thousands to enjoy them. The wide 

 road, which for the moment wore the aspect of a great flowery 

 arbor, had an open space in the centre wide enough for the 

 passage of the small vehicles of the country and then on either 

 side a line of oval stones sufficiently raised to give comforta- 

 ble footing in wet weather. Another canvas showed two 

 young girls in a jinriksha, bringing home great branches of 

 the double-flowering pink Clierry, and on more than one we 

 saw large trees of this species in full bloom, in front of tea- 

 house or temple. Another showed the balcony of a tea-house 

 overhanging a pond in which floated great golden carp, and 

 overhung itself by an immense Wistaria-vine, with clusters of 

 flowers, such as are not uncommon in Japan, fully three feet 

 in length. Another had as the foreground a Japanese room, 

 the widely open side of which gave an enchanting glimpse of 

 a garden with miniature streams andliridges, and, in front of a 

 small building, a large tree with smooth light-colored bark and 

 coral-colored blossoms, called in Japan Sat-osse-soubcri — the 

 Indian Crape Myrtle {Lagcrst?-oeinia Indica). A glimpse 

 of a garden at Nikko, with a tiny cascade overhung by 

 a Weeping Willow, was also interesting ; but the most 

 attractive of all the pictures to a lover of artistic floral 

 arrangements was the one called " A Lotus Pond." The 

 pond formed part, apparently, of a large park, and was itself a 

 rectangular basin, perhaps sixty or seventy feet in diameter, 

 filled Viy a thick, tall growth of pink Lotus. It was enclosed by 

 a well-built stone wall crowned with a simple yet dignified 

 stone balustrade. Large rectangular posts finished with hall- 

 like ornaments and widely spaced, were the chief supports of 

 a plain rectajigular rail, while the many lesser intermediate 

 supports were diamond-shaped on plan and set anglewise to 

 the road. Where the water of the pond flowed off in a little 

 stream the road was carried over an arched bridge of graceful 

 low curve, and the balustrade here became a solid paneled 

 parapet, sjiarsely ornamented with carving. Nothing better 

 could be found for imitation in this country tlian this balus- 

 trade and bridge, and many lessons in the designing of wooden 

 railings might also be gathered from Mr. Wores's pictures. 

 When used in connection with m\ich foliage they appear to 

 be generally painted of a soft pale green, lighter than the 

 green of the foliage but harmonious with it, having nothing of 

 that crude, acid tinge which our own green pigments so often 

 show. And in all cases the uprights were plain and far 

 apart, and less conspicuous in effect than the three or four 

 horizontal memfiers. The contrary is usually the case 

 in our own wooden fences, but a comparison of their 

 trivial, fragile appearance with the simple solidity of these 

 Japanese fences would convince any eye that we should do 

 well to change our practice. 



It was interesting to note in one of Mr. Wores's street-scenes 

 how the artistic instincts of the Japanese display themselves 

 even in the humblest and simplest articles of utility. The 

 chief figure in the scene was an itinerant flower-vendor, and 

 his wares were carried, not in baskets, but in two great open 

 cages of bamboo, to the uprights and cross pieces of which 

 were attached hollow sections of bamboo, some large and 

 some quite small, in which the flowers were placed — always 

 in bunches of a single sort. The whole arrangement was 

 light, portable and altogether practical, yet as pleasing to the 

 eye as though beauty had lieen the sole end in view. 



M. G. van Rensselaer. 



which he was awarded a silver medal. Denys Zirngiebel ex- 

 hibited several dishes of the best strain of Pansies ever shown 

 in this country. The flowers were more than three inches in 

 diameter, of good form and substance, and the colors cannot 

 be described. Some were a genuine red, while others had al- 

 most all imaginable colors blended together. The committee 

 justly awarded a silver medal for those beauties. Good plants 

 of Calceolarias were shown by Thomas Clark and W. Spencer, 

 and in the first collection was a plant with two-lipped flowers' 

 which seems quite desirable. Some fine Pelargoniums were 

 sent by W. Martin, gardener of N. T. Kidder, Esq., and some by 

 J. H. White, who also showed some good Gloxinias. Mr. W. 

 Spencer exhibited well grown plants of Cattleya Skinneri, 

 Catfleya MossicE and Anguloa Clovesii, while Mr. Martin staged 

 a fine plant of Dendrobium /kyrsijloriiin with eight spikes, 

 Cypripediitm La%urenceanuin and C. barbatum. Mrs. P. D. 

 Richards showeil a very instructive collection of named native 

 plants. The display of cut flowers was very attractive. 



Retail Flower Markets. 



New York, May igili. 



There are complaints of dullness of trade throughout the city. 

 Flowers are plentiful, but the average quality of them is nut satisfac- 

 tory. Hybrid Roses are short-stemmed as a rule. American Beauty, 

 Magna Charta and Baroness Rothschild are the Roses arriving in the 

 finest condition. Ulrich Brilnner is also very handsome. Long- 

 stemmed flowers o£ the above varieties bring 75 cts. each. General 

 Jacqueminots are small and scarce. The best cost $3 a dozen. 

 Countess of Tembroke and La France sell for $2.50 a dozen. Madame 

 Ciiisin, Bride and Catherine Mennets cost $2 a dozen. Moss Roseljiids 

 are esteemed the choicest of the Rose stock. These are $5 a dozen. 

 Puritan Roses are $4 and $6 a dozen. Perles, Niphetos and Souvenir 

 d'Un Ami are $1.50 a dozen. PapaGontiers and Bon Silenes are'75cts. 

 a dozen. Carnations are 50 cts. a dozen. Southern Lilacs have dis- 

 appeared, and this flower is scarce ; although a few come from 

 New Jersey. Violets are virtually out of market. Pansies are very 

 handsome, and 25 cts. a dozen. Dutch Hyacinths are $2 a dozen, but 

 are in slow demand. Tulips are 50 and 75 cts. a dozen. Daffodils do 

 not drop below 75 cts. a dozen, and Lilies-o£-the-Valley are disposed 

 oj easily at $1 a dozen if well grown. Mignonette is 25 and 50 cts. a 

 dozen. The large spiral sorts have disappeared. A'arcissiis poeliciis 

 costs 75 cts. a dozen, and Gardenias are $3. Callas bring $3 a dozen, 

 and Gladioluses the same. Orchids are much used for dinner decora- 

 tions. Cattleyas are the fa\'orite variety. They cost 50 cts. a flower. 



The Boston Flower Show. 



The May exhibition of the Massachusetts Horlicidtural So- 

 ciety held on the 12th inst. was far richer than was expected, 

 not only in plants competing for prizes, but in the variety and 

 excellence of other contrilnutions. Among the most noticea- 

 ble plants was a magnificent pyramid.al specimen of the Indian 

 Azalea decora nearly eiglit feet high from Mr. J. L. Gardener, for 



Pun.ADEl.rHlA, Mny iqlli. 



The only novelties worthy of mention that have appeared this 

 week are single Dahlias and Gladioluses. Single Dahlias are admirable 

 for cut-flower purposes ; they sell at 3.3 a dozen. Gardenias are more 

 plentiful, and sell at $2.50 ])er dozen. Roses in general are not so 

 good in quality. Catherine Mermets, Brides, Bennetts and La France 

 sell at $2 a dozen. Perles and Sunsets from $1 to $1.50. Niphetos 

 and Papa Gontier, Ji ; Bon Silene, 75 cts. ; Madame Cuisin, $1.50; 

 Madame Gabriel Luizet, $3 to %\. These retain their delicate coloring, 

 but are falling off in size. Baroness Rothschilds are $3. Jacque- 

 minots, $1.50 to $2.50. American Beauty rules higher in price than 

 any other Rose now offered— quotations are from $3 to S5, choice 

 flowers selling readily at the latter figure. Tulips range from 50 els. 

 to $1 — the fine late varieties selling at the highest price. Carnations 

 and Mignonettes 35 cts., and Pansies, 25 cts. a dozen. Lilacs sell on 

 the street corners as low as 10 cts. a "bunch of ten sprays. Apple 

 and Cherry l;>lossoms are occasionally offered at 10 cts. a bunch. 

 The Maidenhair Fern (Ailian/iim ciincatiini) sells at 35 cts. a dozen 

 fronds. It is used largely in plateaus, with the !i\'ing plants plunged 

 in Moss; in this way they remain fresh for a long time. Gladiolus 

 in limited quantities sells at 25 cts. a spike. 



Boston, May igth. 



The week of rainy weather, so beneficial to all out-door vegetation, 

 has had an opposite effect on hot-house productions, particularly 

 Roses. The Roses coming to the market at present show plainly the 

 influence of the damp, dark weather. Catherine Mermets are decid- 

 edly off color. The same is true of Bon Silene and La France. 

 Jacqueminots are scarce and Hybrids generally almost unobtainable. 

 Roses of the small Tea classes sell for 75 cts. per dozen. Fancy Teas, 

 Si. 50 to $2.00, and Jacqueminots at $4.00 to $5.00 a dozen. Carnations 

 are more abundant and of better quality ; 50 cts. a dozen is the 

 ruling price for long stemmed blooms. Lilies-o£-the- Valley, Tulips 

 and Narcissus grown out-of-doors, are beginning to come in. They 

 bring from 50 cts. to 75 cts. a dozen. Ascension Lilies are sflll in good 

 supply at $1.00 a dozen, while $2.00 is asked for L. longijloriim. 

 There is an abundance of white Stocks in marhet at present. The 

 quality is of the best, and altliough somewhat coarse, yet their de- 

 licious fragrance makes them a welcome addition to assorted boxes of 

 cut flowers. It is fortunate that spring flowers are popular, as there 

 are but few very choice varieties offered. Marguerites, Pansies, 

 Mignonette, Heliotrope, and such small flowersare abundant and very 

 cheap. Maidenhair Ferns are now of best quality. Smilax still rather 

 scarce. 



