Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
OUR FIRST BOTANIST.
Visit to Bartram's Gardens on the
Banks of the Schuylkill.
A PEEP AT THE ANCIENT HOUSE.
Cypress He Brought From Florida and Box
woods From Turkey.
GREENHOUSES IN THE BIG WINDOWS

6REENH0USES In THE Blu WlNUuWc
rwRITTEN FOR THE DrsPArcH.1
Yet there still stand the noble trees,
As graceful In the grateful breeze,
As when one hundred years ago,
Their shadows swaying two and no.
Delighted youthful groups below.
When John Bartram, the first American
botanist, stopped his plow to examine the
flower that grew at his feet, he opened
fresh page of delight in this new world.
The little flower, like Burns daisy, touched
the poetry in his soul, but his poetic dispo-
sition flowed, not in verse, but in the lines
of botanic investigation, and from that hour
the science of botany became his pleasure
and his work.
At that time the study of botany had not
been made easy as it is at present. WORKS
on the subject were all written in Latin and
in order to master the science he must trst
acquire this language, which without
teacher and with little help he succeeded In
doing, and the unknown farmer on the
banks of the Manayunk became known and
honored in every country where learning Is
rexerenced, the friend and correspondent OF
scientists, fellow of several foleign socie-
ties and American botanist to George Ill.
His bit of land in the enarrow wedge between
the Schuylkill and the Delaware, little
below Philadelphia, grew into botanic
garden that was the pride Of the whole
country and the resort of the most illustri-
GUS men of the time. Here Washington
came to find rest and refreshment in the
quiet. of the beautiful garden, and compan-
ionship in the intelligent Christian Quaker.
In this garden-the first botanic garden in
America-grew not only the native plants
of the country from far and near, but also
many foreign flowers and shrubs
which were sent him from abroad.
He travelled through regions of. North
America at time when they were covered
with forests and was the first to describe
their natural productions. In 1765 he ex-
plored the region of the st. Johns river in
Florida and there collected many beautiful
plants and trees, some of which he sent to
enrich the gardens of Europe, and sent
specimen plants to Linnaeus and other
foreign botanists who in return sent him
books and apparatus.
Often Followed Boquet to Pittsburg.
A gentleman of that time gives an
account of his visit to Bartram In letter to
q friend. He says: 'sFrom his study we
went into the garden which contained q
great variety of curious plants and shrubs;
some grew in a greenhouse, over the door of
which were written these lines:
Slave to NO sect. who takes no private
But looks through nature up to natures
God.
seHe informed me that he often followed
General Boquet to Pittsburg, with the
view of herborizing, that he had made USE
full collections in Virginia, and that he had
been employed by the King of England to
visit the two Floridas."
Bartram's son, William, inherited his
fathers tastes, travelled with him to Florida,
and also to North and South Carolina and
Georgia, and made known and illustrated
mani the curious and beautiful plants of
America, AID also published the fullest list
Of birds previous t. se- Wilson, whom he great
ly assisted at the beginning OF his iabors;
His portrait hangs IN one ct -tas, fS13uss-oMI -oI
the Philadelphia Historical Society on
Spruce street.
Knowing that the gardens are open to the
public, through the Kindness of the present
owner, a few weeks ago on a lovely day in
May, along with two other lovers Of the
"antique," I set out to visit them. After los
ing OUT way once or twice, and running the
gauntlet between a cross dog and horned
animal-that to our affrighted vision seemed
as formidable an object as any fre-breath-
ing dragon Of the times of st. George-we,
at last, came in sight Of the 'gardens,"
which, with their fruit trees and japonicas
in full bloom, made beautiful setting for
"that ancient house." which has been
For six-score years,
The chronfcler Of smiles and tears.
An Historic Cypress Tree.
Although the garden has been allowed
will, and is now "owned by birds and
bees" there are still in it many interesting
relics of Bartram's time The cypress tree
that he brought from Florida in one of his
saddle-bags, is still standing 1t was then
small twig, but is now one of the largest
in the country, and looks as though it might
live for many more centuries. The Rev.
Abel Thomas addresses it in these lines:
AL hail, memorial cypress tree,
How many eyes have gazsd on thee
Within the solemn cntury past;
How many yet shall upward cast
Their wondering gazef
In front of the house are two immense
lockwood trees that were sent from Turkey
70 Iuf. Ddrttdm 1fV ycdIS dSO 1ue Olu
arbor, "where far from noise and smoke of
town." Bartram and his honored guests,
Washington and franklin used to sit,
shaded from the heat Of day, is still in good
repair The house, which is of stone and
built by Bartram himself, faces the Schuyl-
kill, of which there is a. fine view. One end
is almost entirely covered with English ivy,
through which peep the small-paned win
dows, and near by is the Christ-thorn, so
much valued by Bartram.
The Interior and Exterior.
The porch is upheld by three deftly fash
ioned stone pillars, and through,a crack in
the wall above can be seen the honey-combs
where the bees lived for years, until killed
by last winters cold. Under the window of
what we supposed was his study were carved
these words:
'Tis God alone, Almighty Lord,
The Holy One, by me adored.
John Bortranh 177o.
Inside the house were number of queer,
ld-fashioned-shaped rooms, each having one
or more cupboards and "cubby-holes," in
which he kept his seeds and specimens. The
windows had broad stone sills, delightfully."-
suggestive of novel-reading, and each one
was furnished with inside glass shutters,
and had evidently been used as pocket
for his winter plants. A broad
path, with stone steps, cut by Bartram, led
down to the bank of the river, from where
we had a fine view of the Sehuylkill-or the
isManayunk," as the Indians called ito
where it joined the Delaware.
Altogether, it was most delightful place