The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1921-02-03

was taken at a low altitude and gives
house and the outlying buildings and
The home of George Washington is a
tranquil place; it belongs to a frame of
mind almost vanished. But when the
pilgrimage through the house is COM
pleted and the eyes have begun to
peer in vain for figures which are no
more, but whose presence seems so
vividly 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 buildings-all of these echo with
steps that vanish just ahead, around
each twist Of wall.
But the intimate work of Washing
toms 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
for it. 1t begins this work with the
stately circle of the bowling green and
ends down below the rolling deer run,
where the willows weep over into the
Potomac.
1t is Wordsworth's "brotherhood of
venerable trees" AS Washington
planted and planned SO, due to a rev.
erent posterity, are the gardens and
lawns today. In simplicity and fra
GRANGE the first of shrines; in repose-
full influence the tonic of a nation.
There are today 200 important trees
standing near the mansion, many of
them planted during Washington's life
time; others We're added, but also in
variably in sympathy with his original
plans for the estate, so far. as these
were 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 a spot
beloved of forester and horticulturst,
and the less sophisticated visitor gazes
up into the spreading trees, let's the
eye linger on green sward 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. He was fond of
the American elm, and there are at
least ten of these trees near dhe 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
fee and the gardeners house, although
this pair may be more recent. A fine
elm stands on 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
the corners of the narrow end near
the mansion. Their height is accentu-
ated by their tall straight trunks, and
they form impressive focusing COL
unins 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 serpentine walk is credited to
. Washington. This is a fast-growing
and short-1fved tree. and others prob
ably disappeared. He makes note in
bis diary that on March %, 1886, he
planted "between 1900 and $4,000
seeds of the honey locust"
! The seven buckeyes have a special
interest, for, instead of the normal
yellow flowers, these have red, pink
and flesh colored flowers, colors not
found anywhere else. Moreover, the
records show Washington gathered the
seeds from whch-tae trees were grown
near the mouth of Cheet river, in what
is now West Virginia.
Washington's diary also mentions
planting four horse chestnuts, but it
Is considered doubtful if either of the
three big trees there now We're among
them. -.
The three pecan trees, all on the
front lawns, are trees of history. They
We're given to Washington by Jeffer-
son, who in 17S4 first published a tech
meal description of this tree, and APP
APPARENTLY was the first distributor of
Mving plants brought from the Mis-
sssippi valley. They are the Oldest Of
=, 3 taes planted by Washington.
70 2riosities may be noted One