Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1883-02-01
The Japan Persim mon.
Mobile Register.

1t is now some SIX or seven years
since the Japan Persimmon (Dios-
pyros kati) was first introduced into
this section by distributions made by
the United States Commissioner of
Agriculture, and as it has fruited
three or four years in succession in
the vicinity Of Mobile and Pensaco-
Ia, there can nc, longer be question
as to whether it VIII do well here.
Mr.. DelcAamps has a fourishing
orchard in the lower part of the
county and I have another in the
upper part. Mr.. D., who is perhaps
the pioneer, hereabouts, in expers-
menting with this new fruit, informs
me that he has about three hundred
trees all doing we'll, aud [ have
about one-tfird as many-my Or
chard including no less than thirteen
varieties, namely ,Tanenashi, Hia-
kume, Nihon, Hatsiga, Yamato,
Kurokuma, Royal, Daidaimara,
Mikado, Gosho, Goshomara, Impe-
rial and Mino.
All of the varieties have not fruit
ed here as yet. We have ripened
four Of them at fIangdon," the last
two years Royal, Nihon, Imperial
and Tanenashi, and while [ am not
able to exactly reconcile their ap-
pearance with the descriptions re-
ceived from Japan, I find them full
ly up in point Of size and flavor to
the brightest pen pictures Of them
SO far sent to me. Imagine slight
ly oblong persimmon, Of a bright
orange-red color, considerably larger
round than an ordinary coffee pot,
and you may have some idea of a
specimen Tanenashi ripened this sea-
son near my place, that weighed
eleven ounces and a half and meas
ured eleven inches in circumference.
The other three varieties were none
of them more than half as large as
this specimen, but very SIMILAR in
shape and color. In the favor /
could detect no material difference,
all of them tasting like very rich
and well-ripened persimmon, and ali
of them seedless. / haye two other
varieties, Yamuto and 'Kurokuma,
in bearing, but the fruit is not ripe
both are tomato s shaped.
How far north the Japan persim-
mon may be proftably cultivated is
q matter Of dispute, many very high
authorities assigning it to the lati-
tude of the pomegrate and fig, and E
few others to the region of the Or
ange, while the principal importers
contend that "since it thriyes anc
aourishes in those portions of Japan
that have snow and ice for months
it will grow almost anywhere in the
United States" I should think
however, that the view of the i'm.
porters is the correct one; though
while I have watched with some de
gree of interest, I have seen no re-
port of IFS fruiting above the Ohi'
River line, and the finest specimens
have come from the southern por
tions Of the Gulf States, or from th'
orange and fig regions. Inasmucl
as it may, under favorable circpm.
stances and by skillful hands, b
propagated by grating on our nativ'
persimmon, I would give it a widel
range-in fact as wide range as it:
congener, the native sort, which i
found in wild state from Rennsya
vania to the Gulf of Mexico.
We are told that "the fruit of tn
4 Gods" as it was advertised !durin'
the first years IF its introduction)
found la great variety in Japan, an'
that the two principal varietie
< (species?) are the Anai kaki or swee
kaki, which is mostly eaten fresh
and the Shibu kaki, mostly used 70
drying; the juice of the unripe frui
of the latter being used for stainin,
wood, and also as a coating for arti
j cles made from Japanese paper
making them impervious to water
These two varieties, or species, W
are told also care subdivided int
sorts differing widely in size, shap
and TASTE" Not less than twent
se-called varieties have been dissem
mated by the importers, and cata
logued by different nursepymer
most of them with, and some with
opt descriptions, and it is alread
ascertalned that there is an unneces
sary multiplication of names, man
of them being SO similar to others a
to Justify their being put down a
identical.
Mr.. Berckmans, who is exceHep
}, authority on all pomological matter:
pronouncas Tanenashi and Mino t
be merely synonymous Of Hiakumt
and Yamato and Imperial of Hach
}. iva. Another authority, name for
gotten, gives Qaidaimara and Toki
.as SYNONYMOUS Of Royal, and judg
ing from specimens ripened
Langdon, I should say Royal, Nihol
and Imperial are the same, and va
mato and Kurokuma now hangin,
on the trees in an unripe ,state ar
1.-THE same.
The keeping qualities and thei
suitableness for drying we have no