ABSTRACT
Horticulturists specialize in cultivating these trees, selling them to gardeners who, in turn, show equal skill in training the branches by clipping, wiring, and binding them with bamboo. Grafting is practiced to regulate the growth to some specified size. The result is expert, whether the intent has been to keep the exact proportions and appearance of the tree in its natural state, or whether fantastic or conventional shapes such as dragons, ships, fans and umbrellas are desired. Bamboo frames made in such shapes are used for this
latter purpose. Often a tree is trained to resemble the growth of another, such as a plum to droop like a willow, the weeping plum being a particular favorite among dwarfed trees.
