BOSTON AND VICINITY. 45 



time, the last one disappearing about fifteen years ago. 

 Mr. Brattle, with a native taste for horticulture, and his 

 observation acquired in foreign lands, no doubt laid 

 out his grounds in the latest styles of Europe, having 

 a spring of pure water, a marble grotto, a pond for 

 gold fish, and a parterre for aquatic plants on a lower 

 level, where the University Press stands. His lawn 

 was so velvet-like that it was said it could only be 

 improved by combing it with a fine-tooth comb. 



The most remarkable fruit garden in Cambridge dur- 

 ing the last century was that of Bosenger Foster, who 

 lived on the estate occupied by the late venerable and 

 worthy Samuel Batchelder, who died a few years ago at 

 the age of ninety-two. [This estate is now occupied 

 by Mr. Thomas P. James, who married the daughter 

 of Mr. Batchelder.] The garden is still partially 

 enclosed by a brick wall, which has been a land- 

 mark on Brattle street for the last one hundred and 

 fifty years. Here was probably the first extensive col- 

 lection of pear trees in a region now famous for its 

 fine fruits. Mr. Foster imported the most celebrated 

 French pears, some trees of which attained great size; 

 a few of them, with a most beautiful black mulberry 

 tree, ornament the place, and still bear fruit. Here 

 are still large Hawthorn trees, which it is believed 

 were planted by the Vassalls in 1730, and which still 

 produce a profusion of white blossoms, and are a 

 harbor for winter birds who feed on the ripe haws. 



Here, near by, is the historic Washington elm, 

 much shorn of its glory, believed to be one of 

 a row of trees planted about two hundred years ago. 

 Under it Washington took command of the Amer- 

 ican army, and at that time it must have attained 

 its first century. Here, too, is the old Whitefield elm, 

 of about the same size, which was cut down some ten 



