456 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No.S 



ed lanaruages which he studied wilh extmordinary 

 industry and success. So earnest was he in ihe 

 pursuit of learning, I hat he seldom sat at his meals 

 without his book; his victuals lieiuix in one hand 

 and his book in the other. He had an early incli- 

 nation li)r the study ol" surtjery and medicine, and 

 ac({uired so nuich knovvledge as to administer 

 great relief to the indigent and distressed in Ids 

 neighborhood; and as mo^t of his remedies were 

 drawn from the vegetable kingdom, he had an op- 

 portunity to prosecute the study of botany, which 

 was his favorite object, toiijether with natural his- 

 tory. Bred a husbandman, he cultivated the 

 ground as the principal means of supporting a 

 large (i.imily, and attentive to the economy of na- 

 ture, and observing the minutest operations he 

 prosecuted his labors as a philosopher. When 

 ploughing or sowing his fields, or movvina: his mea- 

 dows his inquisitive mind was exercised in contem- 

 plating the veirelable system and animated nature. 



He was the first American who conceived and 

 carried into effect the design of a botanic garden, 

 for the reception and cultivation of American ve- 

 getables, as well as exotics, and of travelling for 

 the acquisition of them; and for the pur|iose of ac- 

 complishing this scheme, he purchased a planta- 

 tion in a delightful situation on the banks of the 

 Schuylkill, about five miles from Philadelphia, 

 where he laid out with his own hands, a large gar- 

 den, containing six or seven acres, comprehending 

 a variety of soils and situations, which he soon 

 furnished with an abundance of the most curious 

 and beautiful vegetables, collected in his numer- 

 ous excursions in difi'erent parts of the country, 

 from the Florida^ to the Canadas. Botany being 

 his fivorile pursuit, he soon made such proficiency 

 in it, that the great Linnaeus, said in one of his let- 

 ters, that he was the trreatest natural botanist in 

 the world. His progress in botany, natural histo- 

 ry and philosophy, attracted the notice and esteem 

 of the principal literary and eminent characters of 

 America; amonfj whom were James Logan, esq.. 

 Dr. Franklin, and Dr. Kennersley, of Philadel- 

 phia, Dr. Colder of New York, and Dr. Clayton 

 of V^irginia; and introduced him to the correspon- 

 dence and Iriemlship of Peter Collins, esq., which 

 continued for nearly fifty years, and terminated on- 

 ly with life; Lord Petre, Dr. Dellenius, Dr. Hill, 

 Gronovius, Linnaeus, Professor Ralni, Sir Hans 

 Sloane, Mr. Casteby, Dr. FotheririH, Mr. Wran- 

 gle, &c.. who furnished him with such books, 

 philosophical apparatus, &c., as his genius and sit- 

 uation required, thereby lessening the difficulties 

 wilh'which he had to strugijle in a newly settled 

 country, and promoting the object which his be- 

 nevolent mind had contemplated, in communica- 

 ting his discoveries and collections to Europe. 

 These communications occasioned him to be em- 

 ployed in collecting whatever was nevv and curious, 

 to furnish and ornament the European gardens 

 and plantations wilh the productions of the New 

 World. His industry and success in the pursuit of 

 science procured him fellowship in many literary 

 and scientific societies in Europe, as those of Lon- 

 don, Edinburgh, Stockholm, &.c., and at last he 

 was appointed American Botanist to George the 

 Third, in which appointment he continued till his 

 death, in September, 1777, in the 76th year of his 

 age. 



He employed much of hie time in excursions 

 through the provinces then subject to England, 



chiefly in autumn, when his agricultural avocations 

 least required his presence at home. The object 

 of these journeys was to collect rare and nonde- 

 script veuetables, fossils, &c. His ardor was such, 

 that at the age of seventy he made a journey into 

 East Florida, to explore the natural productions of 

 that country. His travels among the native In- 

 dians were attended with much danger and diffi- 

 culty, and the difierent parts of the country, from 

 the shores of lake Ontario and Cayuga, to the 

 source of the river St. Juan, contributed through 

 his hands to enrich and embellish the grounds and 

 Ibrests of Europe with elegant flowering shrubs,- 

 plants, and useful and ornamental trees. 



He vvas an ingenious mechanic. The house in 

 which helived he built himselfj after quarrying the 

 stone; and he was often his own mason, carpenter, 

 blacksmith, &c., and generally made his own farm- 

 ing utensils. 



His stature was rather above the middle size, 

 erect and slender, of a sandy complexion, and 

 cheerful countenance, with an airof solemnity, his 

 manners were modest and gentle. Amiable of 

 disposition and liberal in mind, he was a lover of 

 charity and social order; and active and temperate, 

 I'.e always maintained a plentiful table; and annu- 

 ally, on New year's day, he gave an entertain- 

 ment at his own house, consecrated to friendship 

 and philosophy. He was an advocate for liberty;' 

 and born and educated in the society of friends, he 

 led a peaceful, useful and pious lile. — South. Paper^ 



From tlie Horticultural Register. 

 ON THE GERMINATION OF OLD SEEDS. 



The germination of seed, supposed to have losH 

 their vegetative principle, may be greatly accele- 

 rated by immersing them in oxalic acid, or put- 

 ting them in a cloth moistened with the acid.^ 

 They are not to remain in the cloth any longer af- 

 ter the germination has commenced. By attend- 

 ing to the Ibretroing, seeds have vegetated ailer 

 being kept thirty years. 



From L'E'cho du Monde Savant. 

 DEEP ARTESIAN WELL. 



The Artesian well at the abbatoir, near the 

 Barriere de Grenelle, becomes every day more 

 interesting. The boring has already reached the 

 enormous depth of 1360 feet. Whatever may be 

 the result of this undertaking, says the Prefect of 

 the Sein?^, in his last report to the municipal 

 council, It cannot but be interesting to geologist, 

 from its connexion with their science; and to the 

 industrious, from its pointing out the chance of 

 success in similar trials. Success will lead to an- 

 other result, already foreseen by philosophers, 

 which consists in the high temperature of .''uch a 

 well; consequently, the water may be instantly 

 employed in warm baths. 



This well was commenced on December 30th 

 1833 ; and, during the 1200 days which have 

 elapsed since then, the works have been directed 

 by M. Mulot, jun.. and have not been discontin- 

 ued for a single day. From this it appears that 

 the average progress has been upwards of one 

 foot one inch per day. 



It seems that the administration are about to 

 make an eniragement with M. Mulot to bore to 

 the depth of upwards of 1800 feet, if water be 

 not met with before reaching this depth. 



