58 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



who were experts in the treatment of pines, the family Ito, who preferred 

 to work on Chamaecyparis and Thuya, have educated at Tokio and other 

 centres renowned pupils : Nishe of Ideka, Take of Denchu, Tanaka, 

 Takaghe, Terano of Yamamoto. Each of these artists has signed these 

 •vegetable masterpieces which have attained and kept a high value, 

 equal at times to that of a great picture. These trees are always taken 

 particular care of, as the least fault in the shape is regarded as a grave 

 blemish. 



Fig. 9.— Thuya. 



The Different Forms of Trees and their Classification. — 

 Independently of efforts made to preserve the natural features in 

 dwarfed trees, attempts are made to get forms which follow definite 

 theories of lines which conform to the aesthetic canons of Japanese 

 floral art, the best proof of which is that the dwarf trees are classed in 

 seven well-defined principal groups, which are recognised under the 

 following names : 



Bonsai. — Miniature trees preserving their natural shape and character- 

 istics (figs. 14, 16, 18). 



Mikoshi. — Dwarf trees in which the base is bare (fig. 8). 



