BonsaiMobius
Yamadori
Lately I have been researching and digging through old bonsai texts, particularly old Chinese accounts. I can only read English, so that limits me to early western accounts of bonsai or dwarfed trees in China and Japan.
Time and again, I come across accounts of them air layering and using honey and sugar as a tool to attract ants and flies to help age and deform the bark. I was curious if anyone had ever attempted to replicate this method?
Here is a more in-depth account from 1847:
"The cultivation of the dwarf trees is divided into two parts -- that of the fruit and forest trees. That of the fruit trees rests upon a process already partly known in Europe; but of which the application is different. At the moment when a tree is in flower, the Chinese cultivator chooses a branch. It is well understood that he selects that which presents the most fantastic forms; he makes two circular notches, in a manner to raise a ring of bark of the length of about an inch; upon the part uncovered he applies fresh earth, that is held to it by means of a piece of cloth; each day he moistens the earth; soon the bark at the incision throws out roots, the branch becomes a tree, its fruit swells and ripens. Then the gardener cuts the branch at the end of the packet of earth, and plants it in a pot to send to the market. It is rare that this operation does not obtain a complete success. The fruit trees raised in this manner are in general the Litchi (Dimocarpus litchi,) the delicious fruit of China; the Carambol, with octagonal fruit; the Lon-gan, a kind of Plum; the Orange, the Apple, Pear, Ficus indica, and a tree sacred in the pagodas, of which the fruit, a kind of Citron (Citrus medica, var. ?) is called by the Chinese, Hand of Foo, because it has the form of hand that the bonzes give to this god. The dwarfed trees are destined in general to ornament the pagodas, and the shops of the merchants on holidays.
The cultivation of the forest trees, dwarfed, demands more care. It is not only in this case to get ready a branch, but it is a struggle they undertake with Nature, which consists in making hideous that which Nature has created beautiful, to lame and deform that which she has made straight and well looking, to render mean and unhealthy that which she has produced vigorous and robust. The trees submitted to this system of stunting, are generally the Bamboo, the Cypress, and the Elm; the same as with the fruit trees, they choose a little branch as knotty and twisted as they possibly can find; they raise a ring of bark, and surround it with vegetable mould; at the same time they prune the tree of its handsomest branches, only preserving those which are zigzag; they then cauterise the wounds with hot iron. This first operation terminated, the gardener devotes all his care to his work, up to the day that he is satisfied of the presence of some roots. This success obtained, his kindness is changed to cruelty; from this day he refuses water to his charge, and it is only when he sees it nearly perishing, when its leaves fade, and turn yellow, that he consents to moisten a little the earth which keeps it alive; he cuts off the leaves, and only allows a few at the extremity of the branch to remain.
"The tree thus treated, rests between life and death; it shrivels and bows its head, until the return of the sap; at this moment its state appears likely to be ameliorated; it is watered each day, its health is about to return; but, alas! for the tree, these attentions are but preliminary to further cruelties. The sap flows in abundance, and then the Chinaman makes at various distances transverse incisions, some almost circular. These cuttings continued, stop the ascent of the sap, which coagulating upon the wounds, causes swellings of bark frightful to behold; but which rejoices the eye of the Chinaman. When the time of the sap is passed, they put the shrub in regime. They then make new notches upon it, but perpendicular this time. They raise with a knife the bark near these notches, and introduce in the one honey, in the other sugar, in some colors, and even acid. Attracted by the smell, thousands of ants and flies come and gnaw, and prick the bark of the tree, while on the other side the acid burns and destroys wherever it touches. At length, after this treatment, when the branch has become a veritable monstrosity, covered with lichens, lumps, and deformities, and is recognised as capable of supporting its pitiful existence, they detach it from the tree; they shake away the earth that surrounds it, to place in a vase having the form of a large square jam-pot; the earth is then replaced by little gravel stones, that are just in number sufficient to maintain the tree straight in its pot. All the care necessary for the future is to moisten lightly the stones, when the plant appears to suffer.
"The trees stunted in this manner, are very much prized by the mandarins, and are sold at a high price; but what is surprising is the extreme longevity they acquire. It is not rare that they attain 100 and 200 years.”
Time and again, I come across accounts of them air layering and using honey and sugar as a tool to attract ants and flies to help age and deform the bark. I was curious if anyone had ever attempted to replicate this method?
Here is a more in-depth account from 1847:
"The cultivation of the dwarf trees is divided into two parts -- that of the fruit and forest trees. That of the fruit trees rests upon a process already partly known in Europe; but of which the application is different. At the moment when a tree is in flower, the Chinese cultivator chooses a branch. It is well understood that he selects that which presents the most fantastic forms; he makes two circular notches, in a manner to raise a ring of bark of the length of about an inch; upon the part uncovered he applies fresh earth, that is held to it by means of a piece of cloth; each day he moistens the earth; soon the bark at the incision throws out roots, the branch becomes a tree, its fruit swells and ripens. Then the gardener cuts the branch at the end of the packet of earth, and plants it in a pot to send to the market. It is rare that this operation does not obtain a complete success. The fruit trees raised in this manner are in general the Litchi (Dimocarpus litchi,) the delicious fruit of China; the Carambol, with octagonal fruit; the Lon-gan, a kind of Plum; the Orange, the Apple, Pear, Ficus indica, and a tree sacred in the pagodas, of which the fruit, a kind of Citron (Citrus medica, var. ?) is called by the Chinese, Hand of Foo, because it has the form of hand that the bonzes give to this god. The dwarfed trees are destined in general to ornament the pagodas, and the shops of the merchants on holidays.
The cultivation of the forest trees, dwarfed, demands more care. It is not only in this case to get ready a branch, but it is a struggle they undertake with Nature, which consists in making hideous that which Nature has created beautiful, to lame and deform that which she has made straight and well looking, to render mean and unhealthy that which she has produced vigorous and robust. The trees submitted to this system of stunting, are generally the Bamboo, the Cypress, and the Elm; the same as with the fruit trees, they choose a little branch as knotty and twisted as they possibly can find; they raise a ring of bark, and surround it with vegetable mould; at the same time they prune the tree of its handsomest branches, only preserving those which are zigzag; they then cauterise the wounds with hot iron. This first operation terminated, the gardener devotes all his care to his work, up to the day that he is satisfied of the presence of some roots. This success obtained, his kindness is changed to cruelty; from this day he refuses water to his charge, and it is only when he sees it nearly perishing, when its leaves fade, and turn yellow, that he consents to moisten a little the earth which keeps it alive; he cuts off the leaves, and only allows a few at the extremity of the branch to remain.
"The tree thus treated, rests between life and death; it shrivels and bows its head, until the return of the sap; at this moment its state appears likely to be ameliorated; it is watered each day, its health is about to return; but, alas! for the tree, these attentions are but preliminary to further cruelties. The sap flows in abundance, and then the Chinaman makes at various distances transverse incisions, some almost circular. These cuttings continued, stop the ascent of the sap, which coagulating upon the wounds, causes swellings of bark frightful to behold; but which rejoices the eye of the Chinaman. When the time of the sap is passed, they put the shrub in regime. They then make new notches upon it, but perpendicular this time. They raise with a knife the bark near these notches, and introduce in the one honey, in the other sugar, in some colors, and even acid. Attracted by the smell, thousands of ants and flies come and gnaw, and prick the bark of the tree, while on the other side the acid burns and destroys wherever it touches. At length, after this treatment, when the branch has become a veritable monstrosity, covered with lichens, lumps, and deformities, and is recognised as capable of supporting its pitiful existence, they detach it from the tree; they shake away the earth that surrounds it, to place in a vase having the form of a large square jam-pot; the earth is then replaced by little gravel stones, that are just in number sufficient to maintain the tree straight in its pot. All the care necessary for the future is to moisten lightly the stones, when the plant appears to suffer.
"The trees stunted in this manner, are very much prized by the mandarins, and are sold at a high price; but what is surprising is the extreme longevity they acquire. It is not rare that they attain 100 and 200 years.”
I saw them myself. Huge suckers! But I agree with you. Some techniques are best left in the past.
. Easier to limit fertilizer than try to balance life and death with lack of H2O.
