August 24, 1893, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
177 
No less than four times each hot day have they been examined for 
watering, and the shortness of the supply has given much additional 
labour in carting from a distance, as it has done in numberless other 
gardens throughout the country.— VISITOR. 
The Chrysanthemum in Japan. 
In the “ Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society ” 
(part i. 1893) recently received there is a paper by Mr. James Comley 
of Lexington, entitled “A Visit to Japan.” Unlike many of the 
travellers to that interesting country, Mr. Comley appears to have 
arranged his visit so as to spend the latter part of the year in Japan, 
and as a consequence his paper contains many allusions to the 
Chrysanthemums which he evidently saw with much advantage to 
himself and with interest to his readers. As the Transactions of the 
Society referred to are not very accessible to Chrysanthemum admirers 
in this country, 1 feel Mr. Comley will excuse me making several copious 
extracts from the record of his visit to the Land of the Eising Sun, as I 
am well assured that many readers of the Journal will appreciate to the 
full much of the matter selected. He arrived in Yokohama on the 
3rd November last year, and in the Cliff Gardens of that city had his 
first experience of Japanese Chrysanthemums, where, he says, he saw 
dwarf figures composed of Chrysanthemums representing all kinds of 
character. A visit was then paid to the Yokohama Gardens Association, 
an establishment covering 200 acres of land, which he tells us has the 
most beautiful collection of its kind in the world. The Chrysanthemums 
were grand, from 600 to 800 varieties being on view. Among these were 
about seventy altogether new varieties which he obtained, all wonderful 
in colour and shape. 
Mr. Comley adds that he visited every place of note in Yokohama 
where he might expect to find a Chrysanthemum, and discovered one or 
two new varieties in each place. These were generally obtained on the 
spot, though this he explains is not an easy thing to do at all times, an 
experience in which the late Mr. Robt. Fortune would have concurred 
had he been alive. With genuine American shrewdness he tells us that 
many of the natives will not sell anything in their handsome grounds, 
and that the gardeners of the gentry who are dignified with the title 
of noblemen have to be conciliated by a little stratagem and use of 
brains. 
At Tokio, where the Palace of the Emperor is situated, Mr. Comley 
saw one of the best collections of Chrysanthemums in Japan. The 
Imperial Gardens are difficult of access, but he managed to obtain a 
sight of this great home of the Japanese flower. At Davgozaka it has 
been the custom for many years to arrange Chrysanthemum blooms to 
represent notable persons, birds, or animals, or to tell of some event in 
history. As the visitor approaches from the street flags and banners 
seem to invite him, and the showmen tell of the great skill they have 
to show. The costumes of the figures are composed of Chrysanthemuihs, 
the faces are carved in wood or plaster, the whole being realistic in 
appearance. The construction of these models is most interesting. First, 
a frame of bamboo of the required size is made, and the plants growing 
in pots are arranged in the rear of this frame in such a manner that 
neither stems nor pots can be seen from the front. Then the blooms are 
drawn through, and arranged in artistic fashion among moss on the 
front of the frame. These models last for about a month, and old and 
young go to view the show, which is considered one of the great events 
of the year. 
By way of supplementing Mr. Comley’s observations above it may be 
added that in Mr. Piggott’s work, “ The Garden of Japan,” published 
last year, there is an illustration of one of these built-up floral models, 
entitled the “ Seven Gods of Happiness,” from a photograph taken at 
Davgozaka by a member of the British Legation. This writer tells us 
that the Chrysanthemum is the last of the “ four gentlemen ”—SAi 
Kunshi —so called for the qualities of which they are typical: the four 
are Miime, the Plum, vigour and sweetness ; Ran, the Orchis, grace in 
adversity ; Take, the Bamboo ; and Kiku, the Chrysanthemum, the 
emblem of To Ye Mei, a distinguish.ed Chinese official, who many 
centuries ago retired from the Government service on account of its 
corruptness. Mr. Robert Fortune refers to this peculiar phase of 
Chrysanthemum culture as being practised by the Japanese florists, but 
I am not aware of any book but Mr. Piggott’s in which an illustration 
of it is given. 
To return to Mr. Comley’s paper, and I must continue as far as 
possible to quote his own language, for it is impossible for me to 
attempt to improve upon it, he says : “ One morning going out early 
he came to a tea house, and there saw growing in the yard a magnificent 
collection of Chrysanthemums. There were four pretty Japanese girls 
sitting on the verandah of the house, and he asked permission to step 
in to look at a particular flower more closely. After some display of 
bashfulness he was admitted, and after he had taken tea and praised the 
flowers, the young girl who seemed to own them took up the specimen 
he most admired, reserved only a side shoot for herself, and he became 
the happy possessor of another novelty.” 
From there he proceeded to Kioto, where he found the best Chrys¬ 
anthemums. They were to be seen in every garden, and he secured 
some very interesting varieties, among which were many varieties 
of an entirely new class. While in Kioto this enthusiastic and 
successful American Chrysanthemum hunter went to Sacco, a hundred 
miles distant, to visit the finest Chrysanthemum Show in Japan. 
In this Show we are told there were thirty different classes of 
Chrysanthemums all arranged in booths built of bamboo, each class 
by itself. Specimen plants were grown in almost every conceivable 
shape’ people can realise his surprise at this marvellous display 
after all the wonderful shows he had seen in Japan. Again, he inquired 
if he could purchase some of these gorgeous varieties, but was refused, 
and it was only after convincing the people that he wanted the plants 
for private use and to take out of the country that he was allowed to 
have some. 
Pointing out some of the varieties he wished to possess he was told 
he could not have any of those on view but must select from others 
growing on a plot of land in the rear of the Exhibition. “Imagine my 
further astonishment,” says Mr. Comley, “ when a bamboo gate was opened 
and I saw over a quarter of an acre of land literally covered with plants, 
all named, two or three of every kind and more of Some. Many of these 
plants were from 7 to 8 feet high with flowers from 7 to 14 inches in 
diameter.” He went over the whole place, row by row and when he had 
finished he had no less than 17.5 varieties, after which he returned to 
Kioto well pleased with the result of his expedition and hastened to send 
off his treasures to Boston. He collected many other plants, but his 
collection of Chrysanthemums during the time he stayed in Japan 
amounted to about 400 varieties, amongst which, no doubt, are some 
wonderfully fine sorts at present unknown to American or European 
growers, and which we may possibly hear something further of during 
the next few seasons. Such a ransacking of Japanese gardens would' 
suggest that the Americans are now in possession of everything from 
Japan in the Chrysanthemum line that is worth growing, but a few more 
observations from Mr. Comley will show there is still more room for 
future exploration. Towards the close of his paper he says “ Long' as I 
have cultivated the Chrysanthemum I had never seen a flower until I 
went to Japan where everyone loves it. I visited five hundred places 
where the flower is cultivated, and these were only the principal gardens 
in a few of the large cities.” 
It has been my pleasure to read many accounts, more or less exten¬ 
sive, of Chrysanthemums as grown in Japan ; but never until I came 
across Mr. Comley’s charming paper have I experienced the delight of 
reading a personal sketch by a man well versed in the popular autumn 
flower. The ordinary traveller who describes Chrysanthemums hardly 
understands the subject sufficiently to do it justice, but Mr. Comley is a 
specialist and a grower, and resides in a part of America where Chrys¬ 
anthemums are well understood, and the readers of the Journal of 
Horticulture will share with me the feeling that his “Visit to Japan” 
is too good an article to remain locked up in the Transactions of the 
Society to which he has contributed some of the most interesting and 
instructive material extant. That is my only reason for laying his 
article so heavily under contribution, and as an enthusiastic Chrysan¬ 
themum admirer he will, I feel sure, accept generously my excuses for 
having done so.—C. H. P. 
OUR BIRDS. 
Mr. Duffryn’s (page 145) are undoubtedly a thick cloud of 
witnesses, and, strange fact, all of whom testify evilly of my poor 
sparrows. Sparrows, too, are recompensed much the same way as 
generally are his lords and masters—whilst good deeds are ignored and 
forgotten, little mistakes are treasured up and remembered continuously. 
This regretable custom I suppose the sparrow also will have to submit 
to. Fortunately, quite in ignorance of these black clouds that appa¬ 
rently in waterspout fashion were to clear the way of all who dared 
to contradict, this season I, with all attention and seriousness, have 
been testing the sparrows’ claims to a retained nitch in wisdom’s huge 
diversity. Sustained by evidence that has been overwhelmingly favour¬ 
able and singularly conclusive, the sparrow once more has demonstrated 
in a way that admits of no contradiction. 
In the open country to fruit growers the sparrow is an untiring 
friend and a determined adversary of their worst enemies. But has our 
Editor not been taking the sparrow into his confidence ? has he not just 
allowed him to have one little peep where lay hidden away these 
multitudinous wrathful accusations ? warned him to be on his best 
behaviour, and especially to look well after Mr. Witherspoon’s Apples? 
But let the understanding have been what it may, this fact remains to 
the credit of the sparrow. Whilst the Apple caterpillar appears in 
shoals morning, noon, and night. “They at them,” and the happy 
result is I have the heaviest crop of clean beautiful Apples that I have 
ever seen. However much the friends of birds may be in a minority I 
am now more than convinced that truth lies their way. But, 
fortunately, my grand fruit crop has not only been preserved, but I 
also have had the good fortune to call in witnesses, and whose evidence 
will be forwarded to you in good time. My faith remains unshaken, 
that Nature’s laws and all created are wondrously adapted to balance— 
to restrain extremes. That there is a useful purpose and place for all, 
only selfish, short-sighted man refrains from tampering with machinery 
so effective, yet subtle, designedly framed to move man’s brains and to 
equal him to whatever may be the responsibility or station that he may 
occupy. 
As Mr. Verrall lives in the outskirts of a populous town, and worse, 
keeps his sparrows confined in an aviary, judgment formed under such 
conditions can hardly be trustworthy. But as this witness seems to get 
badly on with birds in general, perhaps my relating to him a practice 
I follow with children might be of service. During the many years 
that I have grown fruit my garden gates have remained continuously 
unlocked, with the result, to my advantage, a mutual code of honour 
seems to exist between Apples and schoolboys which it is ]ust possible 
with somewhat similar treatment his ill-bred jacks, starlings, and 
sparrows might imitate. 
Next Mr. Duffryn’s imported “cloud of witnesses.” Just fancy, the 
