The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-04-12
Fl ON the HortscHLturistO
The PersimmOn, or American Medlar
DtospyrOs).
By D. L. ADA1R, HAwEsv1LLE, KY.


1t is something singular that fruit with
as many good qualities to recommend it as
the Persimmon has, should have been so
much neglected by horticulturists. As an
ornamental tree with its beautiful shape
and glossy foliage, ITS profusion of rich
oranges fruit, hanging among its autumn
tinted leaves, and in some varieties holding
its fruit all winter it has few superiors 1t
is perfectly hardy, and will grow in any ex-
posure on the bleak barren hiIl-sides ex-
posed to the stormy winds, or in the low
lands among the marshy and stagnant
swampS.
Captain John Smith, of Pocahontas noto-
riety, describes it among the luxuries he
found in Virginia. He says, " We daily
toasted with good bread, Virginia pease,
pumpions, and putchaminS; fish. towIe, and
divers sorts of wild beasts, so fat as We
could eat Them" &c. He elsewhere de-
scribes putchdmauS as a species of indigo
nous plum, with fruit much like a medlar,
first green, then yellow, and red when ripe
If it be not ripe, it will draw a mans
mouth awry with much torment. If ripe,
it is as delicious as an apricot" The valiant
captains description of the fruit is a very
good one. There is nothing so unpleasant
as green persimmon, and very few fruits
so grateful as a ripe one.
The PcsimmOn sports very much in the
quality of its fruit Some of the trees
ripen their fruit in August and September,
and are gone before the leaves fall, and
others rpen all through October and No
vember; while we have seen the fruit hang
on the tree until the bursting buds of spring
pushed it of. Some are fiat depressed at
both ends; others globose and oblong.-
,ol,+
orange; while others, again, are red, be-
coming almost black when thoroughly ripe.
Some are so soft and watery that, as they
fall from the tree, they are mashed, aad the
contents run like thick molassesi while
others are SO tough that they rebound like
an India-rubber BALL Some are never fit to
eat, retaining to the last that bitter. astring-
ent quality which makes one pucller up his
lips As if to whistle while the best of them
are perfectly luscious
The fruit is used in making most de-
ightfuI beer, far preferable, in my estima-
ton, to lager beer, or any of the drinks we
have under the name of beer. 1t yields an
enormous product of whisky when distilled.
1t can be dried and put away like raisins:
in fact some varieties dry themselves upon
the tree, when they can be put up in boxes,
and kept an indefinite period. The pulp
can be separated from the seeds, spread
upon earthen dishes, and dried like peach
leather. syrup can be made from the
fruit, superior in flavor to the best molasses.
The wood is very close-grained, heavy,
and susceptible of the highest polish, and
so hard and smooth, that doubt mott would
answer every purpose of more costly wood
in engraving or wood cuts.
Mr.. Adair's suggestions deserve consid-
Grafton. We remember a couple of instan-
ces of the persinmon being planted strictly
as an Ornamental tree, and think highly of
it for this purpose. Ne have seen Il varie-
ty on Long Island which produces a seedless
fruit, and bears abundantly. 1t is large
and very fine when fully ripe.-ED.