settlers of Germantown were agriculturists. The founder 
records they were mostly "linen weavers unaccustomed to 
husbandry," and later we know they were mostly "trades- 
people." From Philadelphia, Pastorius wrote, "two hours 
from here lies our Germantown where already forty-two 
persons live in twelve families" who "are not too well skilled 
in the culture of the ground. The road to the said German- 
town they have already bravely beaten into a path by frequent 
travel to and fro, and I can say no more now about this 
town, than that it lies upon fertile black soil, and the half of 
it is girt around with charming springs, forming a natural 
rampart." 
Although not agriculturists, the original settlers loved 
flowers, and one who now visits out of way places in 
Montgomery, Bucks, and Berks Counties, may see behind 
the windows of ordinary houses, plants in bloom, which a 
professional grower with all his skill and appliances, cannot 
excel, and which may well serve to remind us of the garden 
and house plants, grown by the first settlers, as the testimony 
of early observers leads us to believe. Watson, the annalist, 
wrote of the early olden times, that "the small flower bed 
stood solitary and alone in most family gardens, and sun- 
flowers, and gay and rank hollihocks, and other annual 
productions were the chief article for a greater display. 
Morning glories and the gourd vine were the annual 
dependence for cases of required shade. None scarcely 
thought of a grape vine for such a purposes. For the way 
of gardens, almost everybody was utilitarian." 
The settlement at once began to enlarge and to it came in 
the year 1694, John Kelpius with a company of followers. 
These came to remain, so for the present, we shall pass them 
to present the notes of a few who were but temporary 
sojourners. Early in the year 1698, Gabriel Thomas further 
wrote, "in this province are four great market places, viz. : 
Chester, the German Town, New Castle and Lewis-Town." 
It is now evident that the yeomen who had been lacking, 
had come, and were opening up the country. Their plant- 
