A SUMMER DRIVE IN THE LAKE COUNTRY. 219 



visited this spot almost a century ago, when the country 

 was comparatively a wilderness, his eye took in the 

 great beauty, and he saw the wonderful possibilities 

 in store when he exclaimed, " This is the loveliest spot 

 God ever made, and a region of the greatest promise." 

 Wheat, broom corn, and sweet corn cover thousands of 

 acres, stretching across the valley and away towards the 

 south as far as the eye can reach. In one field we saw 

 sixteen horses follo\Yed by cultivators. The sweet corn 

 will principally go into the canning houses, of which 

 there are two large establishments here. 



Mount Morris is abundantly supplied with railroads. 

 The Erie, Lackawanna, and Genesee Yalley roads run 

 through the place, the Lackawanna shortening the dis- 

 tance to Buffalo, and the Yalley road making Eochester 

 more accessible. 



Fortunately for us we are the guests of Henry McNair, 

 and during the week we alternate between his old 

 homestead, " Elm wood " and his present home, " Oak 

 Croft ; " the former three miles up the valley, and the 

 latter in the village. Our host is a character, and has a 

 history, the incidents of which, were they collected and 

 written, would fill a most readable volume, stranger 

 and fuller of interest than most fiction. A man of the 

 " old school," courteous, generous, and intrepid, he is a 

 most entertaining host. His twenty odd years spent in 

 Australia were full of enterprise and adventure. He 

 was one of the first to recognize the country as one 

 adapted to fruit culture, and a peach orchard which he 

 planted there became the wonder of the inhabitants in 



