Tom's neighbor Julia took one of Tom's special weed pots to her mom in Virginia. In return her mom was able to aquire a special piece of Osage Orange from the estate of President James Monroe. Below is dialog from one of the managers of the estate:

"Osage orange has historically been valuable.  The people of the Osage Nation controlled the supply of Osage orange prior to and somewhat after the arrival of Europeans.  It is said to be the finest wood for bows east of the Rocky Mountains, and I have read that wood for a bow was worth a horse and a blanket in trade.  Now, even though it has many virtues, it is considered a weed tree in many places.  There are a lot of them at Highland. (PRESIDENT JAMES MONROES ESTATE)  We don't know why.  Osage orange does not any longer have a dispersal vector--there's no way the seeds can be spread very far from the tree unless the tree happens to be on a river bank.  It spread over much of the country because it was briefly used for hedges on farms when the nation was running out of wood.  Perhaps it was used that way at Highland, but I don't know if that is likely.  But it's wonderful to have at Highland."

We are honored to have this piece to offer to you, such a special work of art.