CATHOLIC AND QUAKER 
127 
John Bartram at his farm on the banks of the Schuyl¬ 
kill, within the limits of Philadelphia now, but three 
miles from the site of the town then—1728—also 
afforded a pilgrimage to travelers of all sorts, from the 
old world and the new. Every one made a point of 
visiting here, and visitors were always liberally en¬ 
tertained. But General Washington’s diary has an 
entry concerning the gardens that reveals one over¬ 
expectant guest at least: “Sunday, June 10 (1787)— 
rode to see the Botanical Garden of Mr. Bartram, 
which though stored with many curious Trees and 
Shrubs and Flowers was neither large nor laid out in 
much taste.” Botanic gardens seldom please the 
esthetic sense, however, though maybe the General did 
not know this, hence his very evident disappointment. 
John Bartram was a lovable, simple Quaker who 
built his house with his own hands, in 1730-31; who 
taught himself Latin that he might learn botany; and 
who had all his household at his table, which ran the 
length of the great hall—his servants and slaves 
sitting “below the salt” in ancient patriarchal fashion. 
His farm was as remarkable in a way as his botanic 
garden, for he irrigated his meadows and orchards, 
and had redeemed some portions of it from what had 
been regarded as utterly useless ground. His system 
of irrigation was one which he originated; the waters 
of a spring which was a mile and a half away, were 
