Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/228

MTJSKHOGEAN STOCK. 190 MUSKOKA. of their final removal to the Indian Territory. For three centuries their history is closely inter- woven wilh that of colonization and conquest by the ^jianiards. French, and Kn'ilish in the Southern States. Each tribe or village made such alliances as suited its purpose, with the ex- ception of the Chickasaw, who. like the Iroquois in the North, remained the steady allies of the English, and by their command of the waterway of the ilississippi, were able to check the advance of French colonization by cuttinjj; off communica- tion between Louisiana and the Illinois settle- ments. The Apalachee of Florida were Christian- ized at an early ])eriod by the Spanish Francis- cans, but the entire tribe was exterminated by the English and tlieir Indian allies about 1702, and the country left an uninhabited wilderness until it was gradually occupied by vagrant bands from the Creek confederacy, later known as Semi- nole, or 'runaways.' The Vamasi of South Caro- lina were driven from their homes in 1715 as a result of a war with the English and retired to Florida. The Muskhogean tribes pLayed little part in the French and Indian War. but the Creeks took a particularly active part with the English against the Americans in the Revolu- tion. This warlike confederacy again rose against the neighboring American settlements in the War of 1812, and by the opening massacre at Fort ilims and the desperate encounters at Tal- ladega and Horseshoe Bend made the Creek War one "of the bloodiest pages in American history. The two Seminole wars, which cost the CJovern- ment vears of effort and over $40,000,000, further illustrated the fighting temper of the Creek tribes. By these wars and successive treaty sales the Muskhogean tribes were rapidly dis- possessed until by'the year 18.3.5 practically the whole body had been removed to the west of the Mississipp'i. Here the four principal tribes, the Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole, rees- tablished themselves as 'nations' under organized governmental forms in the Indian Territory, where they now reside, with a combined ])opula- tion of pure and mixed blood, exclusive of adopted aliens, of perhaps 33.000 persons, besides some -iOOl) more in detached bands in Florida, Jlississiijpi. Loiisiana, and Texas. All the .Muskhogean tribes were sedentary and agricultural, residing in compact and regular towns and villages, frcqvicntly i)alisadcd. and al- ways with a central 'town house' for councils and other public ceremonies, fronting upon a plaza or public square for outdoor gatherings. Their social organization was complex and exact, the rank and dutv of each clan being specilically fi.xed in the tribe." They were a virile race and have maintained their population and tribal organiza- tion against all the wasting effect of contact with white civilization. Much study has been given to their language, particularly the Musco- gee and Choctaw, of which there is a considerable bodv of native literature. The best summaries of their characteristics and history are: Adair, Hisloni of the Amiricnn Indians (London, 1775) :' Hawkins. Sketch of the Creek Couiilrn : and f!at*chet. Minrntion Leijnid of the Creek InilinuH (riiiladclpbia. 1884-88). MUSK HYACINTH. A bulbous plant. See GRATK llYAflNTII. MUSKINGUM, mfls-kln'gi'ini. The principal river of e:i-t<rn Ohio. It is formed at Co- shocton by the junction of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas rivers, and Hows southeastward 112 miles through a rich agricultural region, enter- ing the Ohio River at Marietta (Map: Ohio, G G). The Ohio and Erie Canal follows its course as far as Zanesville, and slackwater navi- gation has been secured to Dresden, 92 miles from the mouth of the river. MUSK MALLOW. A tropical plant. See iLLLow; Hibiscus. MUSKMELON (so called from its peculiar aromatic flavor), Vucumis Melo. An annual herbaceous vine of the natural order Cucur- bitacce, a native of the warmer parts of Asia and now cultivated in both beniispheres for the sake of its rounded or ovate fruit, which, in its numerous varieties, varies from a few inches to more than a foot in diameter. Some varieties are distinguished by a thick, warty rind, some by a rind cracked iii a net-like manner, some by ribs and furrows, and some by a perfectly smooth and thin rind. The tlesh may be white, red, green, yellow, or of intermediate colors. There are also varieties that ripen early and late, and one group of varieties little grown in the United States, which keep well into tlie winter. They require a warm, quick soil. In field culture they are planted — to 10 seeds — in hills 4 to 6 feet apart either way. To hasten growth and on poor soils two or three shovelfuls of well-rotted manure are placed tmder each hill. In the Xorth, commercial growers start the plants under glass, preferably in a hot bed, and transplant them to the ojjen" field when the weather becomes warm enough. The seedlings are transplanted with ditliculty and are therefore usually grown on inverted sods or in Jiots. Some subspecies of Cueumis Melo arc: Var. saccharinus or pineapple melon, a sweet-tleshed variety; var. flexosus or snake melon, 2 to 3 feet long and I to 3 inches in diameter, sometimes grown for preserves, but more often as an oddity; var. chiti), also called orange melon, vegetable orange, garden lemon, vine peach, etc., and used for pickles and pre- serves; var. inodorus. a long keeix'r of ])0or qvial- ity; var. Pudrtim, or jjomegranate. dudaim. or Queen . ne's jiocket melon, a highly perfumed, but incdilile sort. See Plate of Ci'crMBER Allies. The striped beetle and flea beetle are serious pests of nui>kmelons. Spraying with Paris green or dusting with tobacco dust, air-slaked lime, or road dust when the plants are moist, heliis to keep the insects under control. Land plaster mi.vcd with kerosene or turpentine is used for the same purpose. The downy mildew and Iciif spot diseases which attack the plant are held in check by applications of Bordeaux mixture, iluskmeions are commonly called cantaloupes in the Initi'd States. S«-e FrNGIClDE. MUSKOKA, mus-kfi'kA. A lake region of Ontario. Canada, bounded on the north and northeast by Lake Xipissing and the Ottawa River, on the south by Lake Simcoe. and on the west bv Georgian Bay (Map: Ontario. D 3). The region covers an area of about 10,000 square miles. 800 feet above the sea and 200 feet above Lake Huron. Besides a lake, river, ami coimty of the same name, it includes extensive forests, several rivers, and from 800 to 1000 lakes and smaller she<.ts of water. Fine waterfalls also occur, of which the most important are the I'ri^al Veil Falls on the Shadow River, and the High