COXE AND HAMILTON". 35 



William Coxe of Burlington, N.J., was the pioneer pomologist 

 of America. His orchards, especially of the apple, were very 

 extensive, and he introduced into his collection all the best varie- 

 ties of fruit from all parts of the United States, as well as from 

 England and France. He was acquainted with the works of the 

 leading pomological writers of Europe ; and his own work, a 

 View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees, and the Management of 

 Orchards and Cider, etc., the first American book on pomology, 

 is very accurate, and still an authority among pomologists. From 

 the record which it contains of his experiments in planting or- 

 chards, we learn that they were begun as early as 1794. Although 

 it treats only of apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cherries, it 

 would appear, from an article contributed by him to the American 

 Farmer, in July, 1828, 1 that he was acquainted with many varie- 

 ties of grapes, both native and foreign, and had been very suc- 

 cessful in grafting delicate foreign grapes, and superior varieties 

 of our domestic grapes, on the more vigorous stocks of cultivated 

 vines, or on the native vines of our fields. He engaged in the 

 nursery business in connection with a partner, Daniel Smith, to 

 whom he soon wholly relinquished it. 2 



William Hamilton of Philadelphia was long well known to the 

 lovers of nature for his exertions in cultivating rare and beautiful 

 plants at his elegant residence, "The Woodlands." During a 

 tour in Europe he collected many curious exotics, which he brought 

 home with him : among others that once favorite tree, the Lom- 

 bardy poplar, was introduced by him in 1784. As early as 1800 

 this garden was extremely rich in all the fine species procurable 

 either in Europe or the West Indies, and particularly so in rare 

 and new American species. The Agave Americana flowered here 

 in 1804. 8 Frederick Pursh, the author of the Flora Americas Sep- 

 tentrionalis, was gardener here from 1802 to 1805, and here made 

 his first collections of American plants. In 1828 the coUection 

 was broken up by the sale of the large specimen orange, lemon, 

 and other trees; and since 1833 "The Woodlands" has been 

 devoted to the sacred purpose of a cemetery. 4 



Near the close of the last century, John Adlum of Georgetown^ 



1 Reprinted in the New England Farmer, Vol. "VTT. p. 34 



2 Horticulturist, Vol. XI. p. 304. 



8 It had bloomed in a garden in Charleston, B.C., in 1763. 



4 Darlington's Memorials, p. 577; Hovey's Magazine, Vol. ITJ. p. 4; Loudon's Gardener'* 

 Magazine, Vol. VII. p. 455 ; Preface to Flora America Septentrionalia, p. viii. 



