308 



TEE GARDES t:il\s AKkS'TJILV 



[October, 



MALACOTON PEACHES. ] condants orossod tbc Atlantic and took their 



BY JiDGK w. w. now i:. m:u- (iki.kans. ; place in the ixardcns of North America as a f;v- 



The T.ake of Canatidais-na. in western Now ^'^^'^^^ '"'■"''• 

 York, is famous not, oiilv for its heaulv, hut for ' Amonji tliese Peiiches at tlie J'oint is a variety 

 ite historical association. The n-ion in which ^vhose name is sufrpestive of this long descent, 

 it lies was once the home of the Senecas. the ^^ >« ^'^l'^^'' ^'^^ Malaratune, and according to 

 mostnumeronsandpowerful trihe of tlu^ Iroquois j Wchster tiiis spellino: is permissible. Some of 

 confederacy. One of their favorite council 1 "^^ ''^••"^^••« ^''^'^ '♦^^=»1^'"^*^"'"- 'i"'^ '" ^^» 'loini:. 

 -rounds wa.s the tine declivity which slopes down , ^*<''"^ nonror, I thmk. to the real ori-in of the 

 to the foot of the lake from the northwest, and "•■^™*^- '"^^^^^ botanists call it Melocoton, and tell 

 which is now the site of a handsome town, "s, witli an appearence of learning, that the name 



As early as lO^G the Jesuit, Chaumonot, visited 

 the Senecas as a delegate, from the Onondaga 

 mission, and wondered at the beauty of the 

 country, the multitude of wild pigeons and rattle- 

 snakes, and the abundance of tish for fast days, 



is derived from the Italian Alclocotogno, or 

 Quince-tree, and that, in turn, from the Latin 

 Malum Cotoniune, or Malum ("ydoniuin, to wit: 

 the Apple of ("ydonia in Crete. They might have 

 added that the (Cretans were proverbially insic- 



and of venison for days of feasting. In 1678 La , '^"^^^^ ^" ^^^i'' statements, and that perhaps this 

 Motte and Hennepin, sent forward from Kings. ^'^'•^^1 pedigree was a little doubtful, 

 ton to Niagara, by La Salle, visited the same 



Now this Malkatoon Peach is very handsome. 



tribe, at a place now called Victor, but a few ^'^«" ^^'^ P^^^' ^=^i^ ^^^"S love. 



., r- ii . 1 1 1 ii i T -i H<r ilipck is like :i Cathririfr I'i'ar, 



miles from the lake, and met there two Jesuits , The sidcthat's n.xt thesun, 



from Canada, one named RaflSex the other ■ he might just as well have used the Peach in 

 Julien Garnier. Passing last summer on a point ' question to illustrate the beauty of a brunette, 

 of land which projects into the lake, about three in so lovely a manner are red and brown min- 

 miles from its head, I was natural!}' struck with glcd in its coloring. 



the changes which had occurred since the early I desire to offer another theory in regard to 

 days when Chaumonot and Hennepin explored i the derivation of its curious name, a derivation 

 or visited that region. The Iroquois were gone, j which comports extremely well with the history 

 So far as the casual observer could determine, i of the fruit, coming as it has from those moun- 

 there was not a trace of them left, except what tains, valleys and talkie lands of Central Asia, 

 is to be found in the nomenclature of lake, The recognized founder of the Ottoman Em- 

 hill or river. Their place is supjilied by another pire was Othman or Osman, the son of Ertoghoul. 

 ra<'e. The inhabitants of the neighborhood and It is after him that the Turks call themselves 

 the visitors at the point were descendants of Osmanlis, the only national name they recog- 

 Gerraans, Anglo-Saxons and Gauls. The ani- nize. In the year 1288 he succeeded his father 

 mals wei-e the descendants of immigrants. The as the chief of his r.ace. He is sometimes 

 horses were derived from P^ngland or Nor- calif d the first of the sultans, but neither he nor 

 mandy, the cattle from Durham, Devonshire or ; his two immediate successors ever assumed that 

 Holland, the poultry from China. There were title. He was an independent emir, reigning 

 two dogs, one of whom traced his lineage to the i over a principality in Asia Minor, correspond- 

 Islc of Skye ami the other to the Monastery of ' ing at first with the ancient '" Phrygia Epecte- 

 St. Bernard. I tos," but greatly extended during his life of war 



The very trees and flowers were chiefly of ! and conquest. His name being translated, signi- 

 foreisu descent. Not, to be sure, the great Elm, | ties Bone Breaker and Royal Vulture, and he justi- 

 which is the chief glory of the place, nor the j tied its cheerful meaning by many naughty deeds. 

 Limes which, :is in the days of Virgil, attracted j It seems that when Othman was young, a 

 the industrious bee, nor the maple that stands j pious and learned shiek, named Edebali came 

 above the upper boat-house. But far more 1 to live at Itbom'ouni, a village near Eskircheed. 

 numerous the Apple tree came from Kent, most ; The young emir used often to visit this holy 

 likely ; and so did the Cherries, the Plums, and I man, doubtless to talk theology, and after a 

 Pears from France ; and the Peaches — it is said ' time he discovered that the .saintly shiek had a 

 they came from Persia, with the Aryan race, fair daughter. In a moment Othman fell in 

 following in the pathways of discovery, of con- love, and prayed for that daughter's hand. The 

 quest and of civilization, until at last their des- •■ holy father, prudently thinking that the station 



