Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07
OUR NATURE LOVERS
They Are the 700 Members Of the
Horticultural Society-MemOries Of
John Bartram - Humphrey Mar.
shall the First Botanical Author
l,y GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

1,y GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
THERE Is an organization. the first Of
l. it's kind in the United States, that Is
celebrating its ninety fifth anniversary TO-
day.
It is an organization, devoted to the cul.
tivation Of the beautiful.
1t isn't hishbrow. In the sense Of cult;
IT'S ct the earth earthly.
When ! state that Its anniversary is beine
observed amid banked muses. Of color, rare
beauties Of earth and odors that rival the
gales Of Araby the blcst,' | am not over
stating the facts.
II any person whose eyes scan these lines
is given to. doubt, let him or her 90 down
to the Academy Of Music today or tomorrow
| or Thursday and prove II.
More than that; you'll be invited to pass
judgment as to the character Of the beauty
., It's the annual autumn exhibition OF the
pennsylvania horticultural Society.
Rounded nearly a century ago. IN e tne
words OF once popular advertisement 1T
is still going strong.'
pOBERT c. WRIGHT. Sidney ". Keith.
~ james Boyd, G. +. c. Stout, J. Heron
Crosman, Jr.. John Williams, Mrs llOratio
Gates Lloyd, Mrs. William 4. Elliott. David
Rust and William Kleinhcinz are the resid.
uary !egatees Of the original group that
They are re the iS'etS Committee on Exhibition
+ this fall.
John Boyd. David Rust and Sidney ".
Keith are, respectively. president. secretary
and treasurer Of the society.
/ The story OF It's origin il so prosaic that
, i is almost commonplace; that is, in the
lace OF the great work that has since been
accomplished.
One reason why I shall regret to see the
Franklin Institute move to the Parkway -
| because 1t cannot carry with 1t the old
building and its memories Of wonderful
| past.
Associated with that past Is the modest
beginning OF the Horticultural Society OF
| Despite it's name it Is a distinctly Phila.
delpha institution.
0N NOVEMBER 20, 1927. the following
~ notice appeared in the Philadelphia
| newspapers:
"1'hosc persons desirous to form Horti-
| cultural Society are requested to meet ut the
| Franklin Institute, South Seventh street, on
Saturday next ut II O'Clock precisely
Ten prominent philadelphians of that day
signed the call.
| From this Saturday afternoons meeting
the horticultural Society of Pennsylvania
looks back upon ninety.five years OF
worthy existence.
Some of the exhibitors whose beauties Of
today in the Academy of Music are descend.
ants of the original exhibitors at the hrst
flower show. nearly a century ago.
Cnfiagging zeal has marked its years OF
existence.
1t has. year in and year out. disseminated
knowledge and promoted enthusiasm on
horticultural subjects among both amateur
and professional growers.
New varieties Of fruits, vegetables and
flowers have by it been placed in our
markets.
by a system. Of wh:,h John Bartram,
perhaps, was the first great exponent. there
has grown up an interchange of seeds. plants
| and Scions with foreign and American or.
abreast with every new discovery In horti.
culture.
The society has 700 members.
They are drawn from the city ana the
and other districts. from Glen Riddle and
other sections where great conservato-
| ries welcome the sunlight, and vast estates
blaze with the splendor Of natures choicest
blooms.
| TT WAS natural that the first horticul.
i tural society in the Western World should
! be located in Philadelphia.
The culture Of fruits and vegetables was
/ Of first Importance to our forefathers.
! 1t followed on the heels Of the fisheries;
the raising Of cattle and sheep.
Germantown early became noted for Its
! flower gardens.
John Kolpus and his followers were the
earliest to construct flower gardens.
! At IIermits Glen they had garden for
the study of flowers.
DR.. christopher Witt early applied him
self-to their study. for Pnstorius in 17l1
wrote Of him:
=, nctris,opher ; @ WITT witt removed his flower
| 1t was Pastorius who. twenty seven
years before while laying out Germantown.
wrote 70 his parents that he saw wild
grape vine that had 400 punches Of grapes
hanging upon it..
! James Logan had box -bordered garden
at Stenton, and the widow Dcshler and
| Dirck Keyser had well-known and beautiful
flower beds hidden behind box hedges
1t was members OF the Horticultural So
ciety who produced the first melons. sweet
potatoes. Chinese roses, dahltas rhoden-
drons and white Muscat and green province
varieties Of grapes in this section.
Tho society used to hold its exhibitions in
n tent in Penn Square where City Hall now
stands.
WONDER II any Of the 700 members OF
the horticultural Society have DER.
sonal knowledge of Humphrey Marshall IS
| garden?
with gratitude by every lover Of nature
John Bartram has been inlmortalized
through his PHILADELPHIA garden.
Humphrey Marshall was relative Of
John BartraW:
Uc wrote the first book about American
trees, and 100 years ago his little place
near West Chester was the wonder of the
neighborhood.
Marshall's home was at Marshallton, 9
postoftice long since discontinued.
Until thirty years ago there were a,
least the ruins Of the beautiful old place
into an acre and half OF which were
crowded some Of the finest specimens OF tree,
and flowers on this continent
|
BRAHAM MARSHALL" Humphrey
n father, was an Englishman from Lin
colnebirc who emigrated to America in 1897
lie settled near Darby and married Mary
Unnt Of Kingsessing. the maine now pre
served in a we'll known West Phiadelphi.
Mary Hunt. the mother Of Humphrc,
Marshall, was the sister OF Elizabeth Hunt
Who was the mother Of John Bartram.