No. 216.] 689 



Long Island is not spoken of in this, or any subsequent work for 

 a great many years as being of poor soil, or any part as barren, as 

 he had been able to find; that it was at this early period that it ob- 

 tained its distinctive appellation of the " Garden of America;" it is 

 everywhere spoken of as being exceedingly fruitful, with a pleasant 

 and healthful climate, and beautiful streams and bays, abounding in 

 all kinds of fish and water fowl. Denton says, " Long Island, 

 the west end of which lies southward of New- York, runs eastward 

 above one hundred miles, and is in some places eight, in some twelve 

 in some fourteen miles broad; it is inhabited from one end to the 

 other. On the west end is four or five Dutch towns, the rest being 

 all English, to the number of twelve, besides villages and town houses. 

 The island is most of it a very good soyle, and very natural for all 

 sorts of Engiish grain, which theysowe and have very good increase 

 of, besides all other fruits and herbs, common in England. 



" The fruits natural to the island, are mulberries, posimons, grapes 

 great and small, huckelberries, cramberries, plums of several sorts, 

 rasberries and strawberries; of which last is such abundance in June 

 that the fields and woods are died red: which the country people per- 

 ceiving, instantly arm themselves with bottles of wine, cream and 

 sugar, and instead of a coat of male, every one takes a female upon 

 his horse, behind him, and so rushing violently into the fields, and 

 never leave till they have disrobed them of their red colours, and 

 turned them into the old habit. The greatest part of the Island is 

 very full of timber, as o&ks, white and red, walnut-trees, chestnut- 

 trees, which yield store of mast for swine — also maples, cedars, sax- 

 ifrage, beach, birch, holly, hazel, with many sorts more." 



Then follows the enumeration of a great variety of herbs and flow- 

 ers which the " country naturally affords." 



" Yea, in May you shall see the woods and fields so curiously be- 

 decked with roses and an innumerable multitude of delicrhtful flow- 

 ers, not only pleasing to the eye, but smell, that you may behold 

 nature contending with art, and striving to equal if not excel many 

 gardens in England." 



Such is the description given of this island by all the early wri- 

 ters. 



The Hon. Gabriel Furman, in a very able and interesting address 

 delivered at Jamaica, October 10, 1844, before the Queens County 

 [Am. Inst.] TT 



