Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-19
WITH A VERY LONG POLE.
The Pathological Division Gets Some
New Persimmons and Classics the Old.

New Persimmons and Classics the Old.
NEWS ABOUT FRUIT THAT MAY BECOME POPULAR
IT Is A NATIVE OF JAPAN-NEw VARIETIES
TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE SOUTHERN
STATES.
''The genealogical division is doing its best to
encourage the cultivation Of this fruit in the
United States said Chief Van Diemen at the
Agricultural department yesterday, calling at
tention to q display of some fifteen varieties Of
persimmons on big table in his Office. Some
of the specimens exhibited looked like red-ripe
tomatoes, others resembled apples very closely,
a few were shaped like boys tops. though most
we're nearly spherical and many were altogether
queer and indescribabie.
''And where do all these come from?" asked
STAR reporter.
From all over the southern states but from
the gulf coast chiefly. Along the gulf, you
know, the persmmon Is grown largely for the
market, on regular plantations, and all these
are different kinds of the cultivated fruit, sent
hither from various points by our corre-
spondents. Our object in making the collec-
ton Is to determine precisely what varieties
exist In this country and to classify them with
a name for each. As things are now the per-
simmon farmer produces his crops and sends
th.m to market without any very definite
notion as to the sort of persimmons he is rails
ing. If he wishes to procure seedlings of a
particular kind it Is apt to be difficult tor him
to get them. inasmuch as the variety he wants
has no name and cannot well be sent for on
that account All this we are trying to remedy;
before long we shall have all the persimmons
known in America duly classified, with desig-
nation for each kind, SO that each planter shall
be aware OF what he is growing and be able to
obtain any variety of stock he wants, with all
the different sorts that are cultivated to choose
rom. Naturally the result of this will be an
Improvement in the qualities of the fruit"
THE PERsIMMoN ON ITS NATIVE HEATH
"But why should this state of confused ignor-
ance regarding the persimmon have hitherto
existed?'
''Simply because its extensive cultivation
here Is comparatively new thing. Further
more. the fruit does not belong in this country
by origin. 1t is from Japan, where the natives
regard it very much as the apple is regarded
here. They not only eat it fresh but dry it
like figs and make it into preserves. In that
country there are people who make a business
OF raising and selling grated persimmon trees,
and to them the growers in the United States
send for their stock. OF course, under present
circumstances, the American farmers have to
trust to the tree merchants for the choice of
varieties. The 'kaki-for 80 the Japanese
call the persimmon-grows admirably in
Uncle Sans dominions; it is emi-tropical
and is found plentifully far up in latitude as
northern Virginia ALI over the south there
are Quantities of wild persimmons, from seeds
OF the cultivated fruit that have been carried
by birds or otherwise. 1t is a useful and de-
hcious product and Its propagation is worth
encouraging"
CLASSIFYING THE SPECIES.
'How are you going about your persimmon
Classification"
I'VE are doing it in this way. Here, you
n Of
by native artists In Japan, and representing in
eolors as faithfully possible the different
varieties OF persimmon known there with its
proper name attached to each. With these
pictures compare the various kinds of per-
simmons produced in this country of which I
can obtain specimens. Thus, for instance, 1
discover that picture No. 6, marked by the
Japanese artist 'Wa-ku,' to indicate the
yarlety's designation, is so perfect likeness of
this tomato-like persimmon from Florida as to
be Enthusiastically intended to represent it. Ac-
cordinSly L record the fact that this particular
tomato-iike kind of persimmon is the Wa-ku
variety, and such is in future to be its name in
the United States. In like manner the resem-
picture No. IA shows me that it
Is the Yukon variety, and SO it shall
be called henceforth. And so on with all the
rest-so far l have only identified six out of
the fifteen varieties on hand-until the proper
Japanese title has been found for each one
Then We shall print a book of our own-some
OF the colored plates for which have already
been prepared-giving accurate pictures of all
known kinds OF persimmons with the correct
names attached and in this way at length the
irult wiil be established on definite basis of
acqualntance;l II farmer sends us persimmon
Tor identification we can tell him what it is, or
IL ne wants Yukon Seeding he can say SO
and get it,"
GETTING NEW vARIETIEs.
"And are all the varieties Of persimmons
known in Japan grown here?"
mo; but l am making efforts at present to
procure new kinds from Japan and from Korea
too. They will be propagated by means of
grais-with view to improvements in the
fruit. 1t is hoped that Korea will contribute
frost-resistlng varieties that will do for some
OF the northern states. OF course, like other
fruits, persimmons can only be propagated by
grating or budding. II you plant the seeds
they may come up good or bad, just as mans
children may turn out one way or another, as
1t chances; but If you could take piece of
that man and grow it the offspring thus pro-
duced would necessarily be precisely like its
papa, and it is the same way with q shoot of
cultivated persimmon that is grated in the
usual way upon a wild-persimmon stump-it
grows and bears cultivated fruit. That is a
very interesting principle in vegetable culture"
Il once bought persimmon on a Washing
ton fruit stand, said The STAR reporter, but it
was horribly bitter and puckered up my lips"
mons are only seen in this city now and then
they are soft fruit, not readily bearing trans
portation-and the fruit dealers themselves
don't know when they are in condition to sell.
Just see what you think of this one, now"
As he spoke the professor plunged a spoon
into the side of a persmmon that looked like a
big apple, and, drawing it forth full of moist,
reddish pulp, offered it for a TASTE The re-.
porter swallowed it at one doubtful gulp but
at once acknowledged that its flavor was most
delicate and delicious-more like that of a
sweet and very ripe plum than anything else
he could think OF. Subsequently he was per-
mitted to eat up the rest of the persimmon. and
was sorry not to be offered few specimens to
take home.
GETTING NEW FRUIT.
1--WE are sending all over the world at pres
ent for new fruits" said Prof. Van Diemen.
''Only few days ago the first importation of
named varieties of cocoanuts ever received in
this country reached my hands from the Phil
ippine Islands. Five distinct kinds the consul
at Manila sent, with their proper designations
attached, and fourteen more kinds unbiased. /
sent them at once to Lake Worth Fla for