RARE AND NOTABLE PLANTS 



Rittenhouse Mill road, and Roberts' 

 Mill road, one of the most important 

 of later roads was Bensell's or School 

 House lane connecting our Main 

 street with Ridge road, a favorite 

 route with travelers when the quag- 

 mires and quicksands of "3-Mile Run" 

 proved troublesome. 



In a letter dated March 7, 1684, 

 which Francis Daniel Pastorius wrote 

 his parents, he gave them this infor- 

 mation: "As relating to our newly- 

 laid out town Germanopolis or Ger- 

 mantown, it is situated on a deep and 

 very fertile soil, and is blessed with 

 an abundance of fine springs and 

 fountains of fresh water. The main 

 street is 60 feet wide, and the cross 

 streets 40 feet in width. Each family- 

 has a plot of ground for yard and gar- 

 den 3 acres in size. The air is pure 

 and serene, the summer is longer and 

 warmer than it is in Germany, and 

 we are cultivating many kinds of 

 fruits and vegetables, and our labor 

 meets with rich reward." 



The ground of which Pastorius 

 wrote was not the immigrants' first 

 choice, but after a difference with 

 William Penn was selected on ac- 

 count of its elevation, and also be- 



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