ASTtf ALS OF HOMICULTUEE. 



Japanese Horticulture at the Fair. — Amongst the formally 

 entered exhibits of the Fair, none were more prominent than 

 those of Japan, and they deserve special mention with the 

 independent gardening features of the Exposition. Japan 

 made fonr general horticultural exhibits — a garden upon the 

 island, a garden in the north wing of the Horticultural Build- 

 ing (plot 3, diagram page 71), a collection of models, drawings 

 and pots in the dome gallery of the same building, and a dis- 

 play of wines in the south or viticultural pavilion. The gar- 

 den upon the island lay beside the Japanese Building (1, map 

 page 105). It was divided into two parts, one representing 

 the garden proper, and the other showing a collection of 

 nursery stock. To one who had read much of Japanese gar- 

 dening and who expected to see a characteristic miniature 

 landscape with grotesque trees, this creation was a disappoint- 

 ment. The garden was simply a succession of low, smooth, 

 grass-covered mounds with a few narrow walks winding about, 

 and a hapless dearth of anything Japanesque in its planting. 

 There were two obconical pine trees about four feet high, and 

 perhaps twenty-five years old, but beyond these there was noth- 

 ing striking among the plants, although there were good small 

 specimens of Sciadopitys verticiilata, Cryptomeria Japonica, and 

 very small varieties of Azalea Indica. This so-called Japanese 

 garden was planned by a builder who was concerned in the 

 construction of the temple, and the Japanese gardener, Izawa, 

 freely declared that it in no sense represented Japanese garden 

 art. The nursery portion of the Japanese island display (plots, 

 2, 3, 4) suffered from too much land. There seemed to be 

 land to spare upon this end of the island, and it was turned 

 over to the Japanese, who had asked for less, and had also 

 brought plants for a smaller area. Nevertheless, the exhibit 

 had intrinsic merit, especially in showing some forty varieties 

 of the, Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, twenty-five of tree 

 peonies, and about 150 varieties of Iris Kcempferi. Sterculia 

 platan if olia, rarely seen as a temporary lawn tree in the North, 

 was also conspicuous. Two maples, which were less than 

 head-high and about fifteen years old, were grafted with some 

 twenty-five varieties each, and they presented a most unique 

 combination of color in May and June. 



The garden in the Horticultural Building, however, was a 

 good example of Japanese art. While it was only twenty-two 

 by 140 feet in extent and aimed to present landscape features, 

 it contained no less than 2,000 distinct plants. It represented 

 such a garden as may be adjacent to a dwelling house. A 

 walk ran through the middle of the area lengthwise, crossing 

 an arched bridge and pond near its middle. Upon either side 



