GARDENING ON A SMALL SCALE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2278, 15 September 1899, Page 5

GARDENING ON A SMALL SCALE.

The Japaaese have the art of dwarfing trees to mere shrubs, and of cultivating plaats in a similar way. The people take great delight in tl.t-ir miniature gardens, which require a special gardener to keep them down to desired limits. Tile author of " Ou Short Leave to Japan '' writes :

A Japanese garden is generally about ten yauis square, and in this small space is found a park and demesne, with lake, summer-house, temples, trees, all complete, and all in keeping with the dimensions available. The lake is four feet long, and full of small goldfish. l)n tbe border stands a pine tree, exactly 18in. high ami 50 years old ; beueath its shade is a temple caived out of one piece of stone the size of a brick. On a lofty crag of some two and a half feet stands a fine maple tree, perfect in form and shape, 15 yeira old and 12in. high. We bought three of these miniature trees later; s maple, a pin?, and a bamboo clump, each about 15 years old and 18in. to 2ft, high, growing in shal'ow dishes. We were told of a complete garili n contained in a shallow twodi zeu wiin -i as. l . EveiytLmg was complete, down to the fish in the lake, a ot water only a few inches square, anri the foot-Inidges over the watercourses. Tea-houses Ihi re were, and numerous trees of various kinds, each shout 6in. high. OM as the hills these, but full of vitality. a nil \et never growing bigger.