House and Garden 
Counterplay of line is sought in the rule that each 
vertical stone must be accompanied by one or more 
horizontal ones; and contrast of line is made the chief 
aim (as it is the exclusive aim in floral arrangement) in 
grouping rocks with trees and shrubs, or trees and 
shrubs with each other. Thus, the contorted and 
ragged pine is contrasted with the spreading cherry tree 
or the drooping willow. The acme of line treatment 
is reached in the “view-perfecting tree,” which ranks 
second to the “ principal tree,” occupies a prominent 
location more to the foreground, and is usually soli¬ 
tary. Its lines are contrasted with those of the “prin¬ 
cipal tree;” but trunk and branches are studiously har¬ 
monized with any adjacent stone objects. Lest it ob¬ 
scure anything important at its rear, a tree of light, 
open foliage is preferred here. Of course, the evenly 
curved contours of objects worked from stone, such as 
lanterns and water-basins, contrast delightfully with 
the irregular boundaries of trees and shrubs. This 
appeals with especial force to the Japanese eye, when 
the white snow develops line contrast between over¬ 
shadowing tree and the “snow-scene” lantern, which 
is very broad in proportion to its height and is fur¬ 
nished with an umhrella-like cap. Boulders are crit¬ 
ically chosen for their contours rounded by the action 
of water or hre, and for their surface markings: veined, 
vermiculate, or honeycombed. Choice stones are 
transported from remote localities and are highly 
valued. Shrubs are often trimmed into hemisphencal 
shape and arranged one above the other on sloping 
ground, in order to impart an appearance of green 
hillocks. 
The yellow of the beaten earth and the sand, and 
the red, blue, green, gray, white, and black of the 
various rocks afford a pleasing color contrast with the 
green of the vegetation, which is not found m nat¬ 
uralistic gardens of the West, while rocks still re¬ 
main strictly within the limit of natural things. 
Japanese hold that, for the sake of the winter view, 
four-fifths of the trees and shrubs in a garden should 
be evergreen; and m fact the only deciduous trees 
introduced are certain species of the oak, ash, and 
maple, which are prized for their warm colors in 
spring and autumn, together with a few flowering 
trees, notably the plum and the cherry. The flower¬ 
ing shrubs employed are the camellia, azalea, rhodo¬ 
dendron, peony, daphne, and hydrangea. These 
flowering trees and shrubs are sparingly scattered in 
the background between evergreens, by which means 
they find a foil when in bloom and make no percep¬ 
tible bareness between seasons. The groves of plum 
and cherry trees, so prized for the springtime “flower 
viewing,” occur mostly on public grounds; and, in 
case they are introduced into a large garden, stand 
apart from the general composition. Flowering 
plants likewise are little employed m the main garden, 
with the chief e.xceptions of the iris, planted near 
water, and the lotus, grown in some lakes. Chrysan¬ 
themums and peonies, the prime floral beauties of the 
country, are restricted to beds on level areas, gener¬ 
ally near the ladies’ apartments. Other plants are 
held suitable for planting in front of fences, others for 
the bases of rocks, and the like. The best known of 
these flowers are the aster, carnation, lily, gentian, 
jonquil, anemone, and orchid. Various creeping 
plants, large-leaved plants, grasses, turfs, and mosses 
are also in use. 
Readers familiar with the notan or dark-and-lip;ht 
of Japanese pictorial art will expect to find it regarded 
in their landscape gardening, and so it is, appearing in 
many of the cases already noted as examples of line; 
for example, the broad and smooth surfaces of lan¬ 
terns and basins contrast with the broken play of light 
in neighboring shrubs and trees, as well as with the 
rough surfaces of boulders; and it was for this artistic 
purpose that lanterns were introduced and not to shed 
light, which they do very faintly, and this purposely 
obscured by foliage. So again, trees are placed here 
to throw shade, there to give reflection in water, and 
there again to break the rays of the setting sun. The 
cascade, located beside the guardian stone and 
therefore central in the composition, affords the high 
light, which may he repeated by the lake and stream. 
On the whole, it will seem to the Western eye that the 
broad, light spaces are too much intersected with 
islands, bridges and stepping stones; hut the Japan¬ 
ese is lavish with his work, and he never really crowds 
the field. 
It remains only to state that all these varied works 
are executed with a precision of technic excelled 
nowhere and rivaled m few places, a quality of art 
which, of course, is indispensable to the effectiveness 
of all the others. 
Is it to be understood, however, that Westerners 
have anything to learn from this landscape garden¬ 
ing of Japan .? Such is certainly the plain impli¬ 
cation of the foregoing account; and, moreover, 
the implication has been seen and followed with 
the most brilliant success in England, where no 
less a person than his Majesty King Edward VII. 
has allowed Mr. A. B. Mitford to transform 
the grounds at Balmoral, Sandringham, Bucking¬ 
ham, and even historic Windsor in accordance with 
Japanese principles, with the result that, not only 
has the apparent size of these gardens been vastly 
increased, but their beauty and interest greatly en¬ 
hanced. The royal pleasure in the transformation 
was so marked that Its author, Mr. A. B. Mitford, 
was exalted to the peerage with the title of Lord 
Redesdale. Both such modifications as the above 
named and landscape gardens wrought entirely in 
the Japanese style could be introduced with advan¬ 
tage to America; where, above all countries, such 
restful and charming outdoor delights are needed to 
woo people from their mad chase for money followed 
by the vulgar expenditure of it. 
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