RARE AND NOTABLE PLANTS 



At "Fairfield" is a fine specimen of 

 rare Japan cedar or cryptomeria 

 (cryptomeria japonica), the acknowl- 

 edged "queen of evergreens," 25 feet 

 in height; also a fine white oak (quer- 

 cus alba), 80 feet in height; a white 

 or silver birch (betula alba), 40 feet 

 in height, the latter a fine plant, but 

 not equal to specimens at Fern-hill and 

 at E. W. Clark's, Wissahickon avenue 

 and School House lane. Also here, as 

 reported by Philip C. Garrett, the pres- 

 ent occupant of Fairfield, for Mrs. 

 Anne DeB. Mears — "over the upper 

 spring-house is an ancient and fa- 

 mous catalpa tree pictured in the hor- 

 ticultural journals, which still bears 

 its beautiful crop of blossoms every 

 year," a tree yet vigorous, and near 

 the mansion, between it and the road, 

 is a fine cedar of Lebanon (cedrus 

 libani), 50 feet in height. All these 

 plants are prominent, and may be 

 plainly seen from the road. 



"Stenton," once extending from 

 Fisher's lane to Nicetown lane, from 

 Germantown road to York road, and 

 situated from "Fairfield" to the west, 

 has been shorn of much of its wealth. 

 A. J. Downing, who visited it, thus 

 describes it in "Landscape Garden- 



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