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Cavalcade Of America 1937 John Bartram’s Garden. ep108, 371110
The story of one of the greatest botanists who ever lived, John Bartram.
To open the show, enjoy the song from Cole Porter, Old Fashioned Garden
Born to a Quaker family, John finds himself married and starting a farm of his own. Though his wife sees little difference between the myriad of wild flowers, John notices the different species. Self taught to read and write, John had little book learning. Seeking a book to tell him as much as possible about flowers, all the ones he can find are written in Latin. The determined man first needs a book to teach him Latin. Which he learns in 3 months.
John’s latest news for Mary is that he’s buying an additional 5 acre plot of land to raise nothing but flowers. A garden of trees and shrubs of the plants that grow all over the colony,. After his wife Mary died, he continued his work, but found he had a house but not a home.
Years pass, and now married to Ann, John is in contact with reknowned botanists from England. John’s garden becomes an important scientific resource for the scientific world. Ben Franklin stopps in to discuss medicinal pproperties of American plants.
Reputations grow, and Bartram is awarded a royal position for his work. His energy and devotion took him on a never ending quest to learn all he could about plants. Even beyond his lifetime, his garden continued as a living museum of beauty and scientific importance.
Duponte tells how the chemistry of cotton will reach the public in many different forms. Testiles, fabrics, suitcases, explosives, paint, rayon, plastic and more.
