We are inclined to claim for German-town the credit of starting the earliest nursery in the United States. Of course Bartram's garden is older as a garden, and as its owner was a plant collector, and sold plants from his garden, it was in some sort a nursery. But the general propagation of fruits and flowers as a regular business seems to have been first made a business of by Christian Lehman, of Germantown, now the Twenty-second Ward, of the city of Philadelphia.

We copy the following advertisement from the Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser, from Monday, May 9, to Monday, May 16, 1768 :

" Germantown, April 12th, 1768. "TO BE SOLD. "A choice parcel of well-grown young English Walnut trees as well as Pear and Apricot, and a curious variety of the best and largest sorts (from England) of grafted Plumb trees, fit for transplanting this spring or next fall, as well as a great variety of beautiful double Hyacinth roots, and Tulip roots, next summer season, and most other things in the flower or fruit tree nursery way.

"Christian Lehman.

"N. B. - We likewise (on request and if bespoke in time) maketh up parcels of curious plants, shrubs, and seeds of the growth of this climate in such a manner as best secures them according to what country or climate they are designed to be transported".

Lehman's Nursery was where Chelten Avenue now is, and extended southwardly - all built over now. Many of his trees are still standing in Germantown especially Pear trees and English Walnut, of which there may be perhaps a hundred all told, bearing freely almost every year.