RARE AND NOTABLB PLANTS 



in whose charming garden situat- 

 ed at the northwest corner of Main 

 street and Washington lane, we shall 

 stop for awhile to "sit at her feet" 

 while she entertains us with accounts 

 of her historic plants. Among the 

 rare treasures here is a fine 

 Persian lilac (syringa persica) planted 

 in 1771, which continues vigor- 

 ous and spreads its sweetness upon 

 the receptive air. A curious fig (ficus 

 carica) here is the development of a 

 shoot which for 4 years after the re- 

 moval of the parent tree did not ap- 

 pear, but is now, as figs go, a stately 

 plant. Here also on the southern ex- 

 posure of the mansion is the first wis- 

 teria (wisteria speciosa) planted in 

 Germantown, and one of the first 

 planted in America, a plant of im- 

 mense proportions, and whose numer- 

 ous runners overspreading two near- 

 by trees weighted them to earth. 



Many fine wisteria plants we have, 

 and at Ellwood Johnson's fascinating 

 retreat adjoining there is a most beau- 

 tiful specimen; another is at "Grum- 

 blethorpe;" another at William Rotch 

 Wister's on Wisteria avenue, and yet 

 another at Dr. Herman Burgin's on 

 West Chelten avenue; also at David 



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