Mountain advocate., 1921-02-25

house and the outlying buildings and
Tie home of George Washington is Il
tranquil place; Il belongs TO frame of
mind almost vanished. Rut when the
pilgrimage through the house is com
pleted and the eyes have begun to
peer in vain fer figures which are no
more, but whose presence seems so
WILDLY suggested. one steps out to
meet spring sunshine, and the foliage
that Is. indeed. in keeping with the
spirit OF the past, observes q writer In
the Detroit News.
The venerable barn, wrapped In Ivy |;
the peaceful farm yards; the lazy low.
hung buildlngs-all Of these echo with
steps that vanish just ahead, around
each twist of WALL
But the intimate work of Washing.
tons heart is In the surrounding
grounds. The noble view from the
portico, with It's matchless sweep Of
river and shore, Is the dazzling frame
Tor 1t. II begins this work with the
stately Circle uf the bowling green and
endS do~n below the POLLING deer run,
where the wiiinwE weep ayeF iato the
Ps!amao.
Il Il WoraswostG's ''bsetherhaod Of
venerable !ivos" As washington
planted End planned 30, dwn to rrv,
eFent nusirrity are the gardens Rnd
lawns today. In simplicity and fra,
GRANGE tbs first Of shrines IN repose-
nj Influence The toalc OF u uatioa.
There are today 200 important trees
standlag near the mansion, many of
fhem planted during Wnshlngton's life.
time; others We're added, but also in
yariably in sympathy with his original
plans for The estate, so far as these
we're known. Washington himself
searched far and wide for the trees
he wanted; he wrote his friends in va.
=. riOus parts of America and abroad.
Thus it was that the estate is Il spot
beloved of forester and horticulturist,
and the less sophisticated visitor gazcs
up into the spreading trees, lets the
eye finger Oh green sN0rd and shelly
Ing shores, and gives over his spiritual
burdens to the bosom of the Potomac.
Washington's diary informs us he
was active in January of 1855, lOcat-
ing elm trees for the grounds. The
majestic American elm on the west
lawn probably was one of the trees OBJ
tanned at that time. lie was fond of
the American elm, and there are at
least ten of these trees near the man
sion, some of them, however, of the
later planting. OF the original elms
two flank the walls. fringing the bowl
ing green, on the east side They are
picturesquely placed between the Of /
flee and the gardeners house. although |
this pair may he more recent. 4 fine /
elm stands Oh the east lawn.
The bowling green, between the two |.
gardens, is an attractive study. At /.
once attention is attracted To the twin /
beech trees planted by Washington in I
the corners of tie narrow end near /
the mansion. Their height is accentu- /
ated by their tall, straight trunks, and .
they form impressive focusing col
umns for the opening sweep of lawn
stretching between the two gardens.
On the west side the next tree Is an
ash, planted by Washington and across
from them two coffee bean trees, the
three forming an impressive group.
OF four notable honey locustS, one
standing between the Kitchen garden
and the serpeutinc walk is credited to
This r. Il fast-growing /
and shOrt-livcd tree, and others prob
ably disappeared He makes note in
his diary that on March 23, 1856, he .
planted "hetworn 1900 and 1900 4
seeds of the honey locust"
The seven buckeyes have special
interest, for, instead of the normal
yellow flowers. these have red, plnl;
and liesh-co!orcd flowers, colors not
found anywhere else. Moreover, the
records show Washington gathered the
seeds from which the frees we're grown
near the mouth Of Chrct river. in what
Is now West Virginia.
WGshingtOn's diary also mentions
planting -four horse chcstnuts, but It
Is considered doubtful If either Of the
three big trees there now were among
them.
Tie three pecan trees, all on the
front lnNns. are trees Of history. They
were given to WuShin-toa by JeTer-
son. who in l7'l first Published tech
Bical description - this tree. and ap-
parently WAS tha first distributor Of
living plants brmsh fiOm the Mis-
slssippi valley. They are the oldest Of
he trees planted Iy Washington,
Two ouriositir5 NAVY 20 ned One