As™p?ember.hiam ' }    Early  Botanical  and  Herb  Gardens.  413 
Gabriel  Thomas,  published  in  London,  in  1698.  In  his  description 
of  Burlington,  then  the  "  chiefest  town  in  that  countrie,"  Thomas 
says  :  "  There  are  many  Faire  and  Great  Brick  Houses  on  the  outside 
of  the  town  which  the  Gentry  have  built  there  for  their  Countrey 
Houses,  besides  the  great  and  stately  Palace  of  John  Tateham,  Esq., 
which  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  North  side  of  the  Town  having 
a  very  fine  and  delightful  Garden  and  Orchard  adjoining  to  it,  wherein 
is  variety  of  fruits,  herbs, and  flowers  ;  as  Roses,  Tulips,  July-flowers, 
Sun-flowers  (that  open  and  shut  as  the  Sun  rises  and  sets,  thence 
taking  their  name),  Carnations  and  many  more ;  besides  abundance 
of  Medicinal  Roots,  Herbs,  Plants  and  Flowers  found  wild  in  the 
Fields." 
The  same  author  in  "  The  History  of  Pensilvania,"  when  speaking 
of  Philadelphia,  says:  " There  are  fine  and  delightful  Gardens  and 
Orchards,  in  most  part  of  this  Country;  but  Edward  Shippen  (who 
lives  near  the  Capital  City)  has  an  Orchard  and  Gardens  adjoining 
to  his  Great  House  that  equalizes  (if  not  exceeds)  any  I  have  ever 
seen,  having  a  very  famous  and  pleasant  Summer  House  erected  in 
the  middle  of  his  extraordinary  fine  and  large  Garden  abounding 
with  Tulips,  Pinks,  Carnations,  Roses  (of  several  sorts),  Lillies,  not  to 
mention  those  that  grow  wild  in  the  fields." 
Quite  a  famous  Colonial  garden,  although  of  a  somewhat  later 
period,  was  that  connected  with  the  house  built  by  Charles  Norris 
in  Philadelphia,  about  1750.  This  garden  is  described  by  the  annal- 
ist of  the  time  as  "  a  spot  of  elegance  and  floral  beauty."  It  was 
"  laid  out  in  square  parterres  and  beds,  regularly  intersected  by  grav- 
elled and  grass  walks  and  alleys."  It  appears  to  have  been  plenti- 
fully stocked  with  flowers,  vegetables  and  fruits  of  all  kinds  and  also 
contained  a  liberal  and  varied  supply  of  medicinal  herbs.  Watson, 
in  his  well  known  "  Annals  of  Philadelphia,"  says :  "  It  was  an  annual 
concern  of  the  ladies  of  the  family  at  Norris'  gardens  in  Philadelphia 
to  collect,  dry  and  lay  up  various  herbs  for  medicinal  purposes,  to 
be  given  away  to  the  many  who  called  for  them." 
Probably  the  first  garden  in  this  country  to  be  devoted  largely,  if 
not  entirely,  to  the  cultivation  and  study  of  medicinal  herbs  and 
plants  was  that  established  in  connection  with  the  colony  of  Mystics 
or  Pietists  on  the  banks  of  the  VVissahickon,  near  Philadelphia. 
This  is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  garden  that  is  referred  to  in 
the  poem,  Bachellors'  Hall,  written  about  1729,  by  George  Webb, 
