HISTORY 5 



monks to go to China in order to study the doctrines of the best ac- 

 credited teachers at the fountain-head. These monks introduced into 

 Japan a number of favorite trees and shrubs like the Ginkgo, Yulan, 

 Moutan Paeony, Chinese Quince, the Tea-plant, Buddha's Tree 

 (Tilia Miqueliana), Sophora japonica, Prunus tomentosa, P. japonica, 

 Paulownia tomentosa, such fruit trees as the Peach, Apricot, Persimmon, 

 Pear, Apple, Plum, Cherry, Loquat, the Orange and its relatives and, in 

 all probability, the Chrysanthemum also. Though they probably did 

 not originate the love for gardens these monks must have greatly stimu- 

 lated it. The mutual love of flowers among the peoples of the Orient 

 induced and fostered the introduction of plants from one country to 

 another in the Far East even as it did in the Levant and, in later days, 

 as it has in the Occident. And so we find the history of garden plants 

 intimately associated with the social life of the peoples. We know 

 nothing of early intercourse between the Japanese and Chinese prior 

 to the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. We do know that Chinese 

 monks introduced their favorite flowers to Korea, that Chinese and 

 Korean monks carried them to Japan, and it is safe to assume that 

 these same monks and their Japanese disciples carried to Korea and 

 to China plants of Japan which appealed to their aesthetic sense. In 

 fact the presence in temple-grounds and other sacred places in China 

 of the Cryptomeria, which is endemic in Japan, and of many varieties 

 of Japanese Camellias and Azaleas in Chinese gardens, is positive proof 

 that Japanese plants were long ago introduced into China. 



The illustrious Venetian, Marco Polo, who lived many years in 

 China during the latter part of the 12th century and to whom we owe 

 the first authentic account of that mighty empire, notices from his 

 own observation many of the vegetable productions of China used 

 for economic purposes. After his memorable travels China was for a 

 long time closed to European access and had been altogether forgotten 

 in Europe when in 1516 the Portuguese first arrived in China. The 

 Portuguese claim the honor of having first introduced the Sweet- 

 Orange from China to Portugal some time between 1545 and 1548. 

 About the end of 1542 the Portuguese adventurer, Mendez Pinto, 

 discovered Japan, first touching at the island now known as Tanaga- 

 shima south of Kagoshima in Kyushu. The Portuguese made their 

 way north as far as Oita in northeast Kyushu where Mendez Pinto 

 in 1543 received a -friendly reception from the local Daimyo. The 

 arquebus Pinto carried astounded the Japanese, who had never before 

 seen any explosive weapon. In 1549 St. Francis Xavier reached Japan 



