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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



of boys in the colonies, he was brought up to a farming life, and 

 his education was only such as the country schools of the time 

 afforded. After reaching adult years he studied Latin a little, so 

 as to be able to pick out the descriptions of plants in the Latin 

 works of European botanists. In a sketch of John Bartram, 

 written by his son William, it is stated that he had an inclination 

 to the study of physic and surgery and did much toward relieving 

 the ailments of his poor neighbors. In January, 1723, he married 

 Mary, daughter of Richard Morris, of Chester Meeting, by whom 

 he had two sons— Richard, who died young, and Isaac, who lived 

 to old age. His wife Mary died in 1727, and in September, 1729, 

 he married Ann Mendenhall, of Concord Meeting, who survived 

 him. John and Ann Bartram had nine children, five boys and 

 four girls. Of these the third son was William, he and his twin 



Bartram's House in 1887. (From a photograph furnLshed by Mr. Thomas Meelian. ) 



sister, Elizabeth, being born February 0, 1739. The ground on 

 which John Bartram laid out the first botanic garden in America 

 was on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, at Kingsessing, 

 near Gray's Ferry (now within the city limits of Philadelphia), 

 and was bought by him September 30, 1728. " Here he built with 

 his own hands," says William, " a large and comfortable house of 

 hewn stone, and laid out a garden containing about five acres." 

 A view of this house, which is still standing, is given in the 



