. The Far East and the new America; a picturesque and historic account of these lands and peoples, with the following special articles: China. ourse we arespeaking now of what nature and not man has done for Japan. Even in tlie last situation, when we come to the core of truth, we findthat the oft-praised cherry is conspicuous for its want rather than for itsrichness of blossom. What is true of this applies to tlie plum. Thebeauty of a well-ordered grove of cherries is not to be gainsaid, but it isof a lower grade than that of an American apple orchard. The fruit 430 THE FAR EAST. being wortli
. The Far East and the new America; a picturesque and historic account of these lands and peoples, with the following special articles: China. ourse we arespeaking now of what nature and not man has done for Japan. Even in tlie last situation, when we come to the core of truth, we findthat the oft-praised cherry is conspicuous for its want rather than for itsrichness of blossom. What is true of this applies to tlie plum. Thebeauty of a well-ordered grove of cherries is not to be gainsaid, but it isof a lower grade than that of an American apple orchard. The fruit 430 THE FAR EAST. being wortliless, and there being a scarcity of flowers, the people bow tothe cherry-tree in worshipful adoration. We see this same idea illustrated in the matter of the leading, and, itmight almost be said, of the only universal fruit of Japan, the pear, whichis really a second-class article. There being no better subject to outrivalit, it is eaten everywhere in the empire, and given a conspicuous place onevery fruit-stand. It is carefully cultivated in and orchards,whitlier visitors are invited in the of rijiening. orchards. luis <.;ai;i)KN. are objects of beauty in themselves, being planted with checker-boarduniformity, and carefully trained, laterally, along trellises of regular heightand form. Natural archways, reaching for long distances, are places ofgreat beauty both in flowering and fruiting seasons. So it is, the empireover. Let flowers be scarce or plentiful, the love for them is the growthof many generations, and there is no person so high or humble who doesnot treasure the knowledge and worship of them in his heart. Wherever the floral giver bestows her gifts, she does it with a liberalhand, and if the slopes of Hakone are resplendent during the spring withuncultivated gardens of wild azaleas in their pink, white, and variegated JAPAN. 431 hues, so are the hedges and hillocks, the vales and plains, of Atami, deckedto profusion with miniature groves of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1901
