THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN 



trees and the azalea bushes become larger. This garden is 

 most beautiful during the first part of May, when the won- 

 derful Japanese flowers are at their height. It is not a 

 flower garden, however, as is indicated by the following 

 quotation from Mr. T. Shiota, the designer of the garden, 

 in which he defines it as "the natural landscape idealized 

 and pictured forth by real objects on the ground. Just as 

 an artist sketches a scene on canvas, so the garden de- 

 signer represents a beautiful object on the ground by the 

 aid of pick and shovel, using trees, rocks, water and stones 

 as nature uses them, but employing the principles of three 

 separate arts— painting, sculpture, and architecture— to 

 gain the effects we desire." 



It is evident to the visitor that the idea has been well 

 carried out here. On a site, especially favorable, including 

 a portion of the shore of a small lake, are Inari shrines, 

 gates, tea-house, moon-view house, wistaria arbor, bronze 

 storks, picturesque drum bridge and stone lanterns, which 

 combine with the plants and natural scenery to produce the 

 general effect. An unusual and picturesque wooden struc- 

 ture known as a torii is situated in the lake. These struc- 

 tures are always placed before shrines and indicate the gate 

 to a temple. The torii in the garden is modeled after the 

 famous one at Miyajima, which stands in the sea and is 

 the only torii in Japan so placed. 



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