THE RESIDENCE OF JOHN BARTRAM 



must be seen growing in its natural situation — submersed in water, with every 

 motion of which the lace-like leaves take the most graceful, undulating curves. 

 The plants at Chelsea Nursery are placed in broad glass pans, v/hich allow the 

 structure and movement of the leaves to be perfectly visible by the light trans- 

 mitted through the sides. The temperature required is about T5 degrees. 



As far as can be judged from so short an acquaintance with its habits, little 

 difficulty is to be anticipated in the cultivation of this plant, which will probably 

 be, ere long, as extensively distributed among the collections of this country as, 

 from its great interest and beauty, it fully deserves to be. — Illustrated News. 



THE RESIDENCE OF JOHN BARTRAM;* 



NOW IN THE CITY OF PHniADELPHIA. 



The house, of which a picture is presented in the present number, may be said 

 to be the cradle of American botany ; from the proprietor emanater^ tue plants 

 and seeds which supplied the means and fostered the taste of what'''; /w constitutes 

 half of the older ornamental planting of England. It was finished«4n the year 

 It TO, and is still preserved with pious care by Colonel Eastwick, its present libe- 

 ral proprietor, and forms the most interesting shrine for a pilgrimage within our 

 borders. 



Bartram was, perhaps, the first Anglo-American who established a Botanic 

 Garden for native plants as well as exotics, and who travelled for the discovery 

 and acquisition of novelties. At the then distance of about three miles from the 

 city, on the Schuylkill River, he built with his own hands, and laid out a garden 

 with a fine exposure, of about five acres, subsequently much increased, and from 

 'hence communicated, to the curious in Europe and elsewhere, his discoveries for 

 the benefit of science, commerce, and the useful arts. He travelled several thou- 

 sand miles in Florida and Carolina, bringing seeds and even plants on these labo- 

 rious journeys, being fortunately a good botanist for that day — Linnasus said the 

 best natural botanist known. He explored various northern points on the same 

 errands for pay that could have been the least part of his reward. 



He was a man of modest and gentle manners, frank, cheerful, and of great good 

 nature ; a lover of justice, truth, and charity ; he was never known to have been 

 at enmity with any man. His religious creed may be collected from the inscrip- 

 tion by his own hand, in very conspicuous characters upon a stone which is shown 

 in the wall, as follows : — 



" 'Tis God alone, Almighty Lord, 



The Holy Oue, by me adored. 



John Bartram, 1770." 



* See Frontispiece. 



