The record-union., 1895-09-12
ABOUT PERSIMMONS.
a Scientific Discussion of the South's
Eayorite Fruit.

a Scientific Discussion of the South'S
Eayorite Fruit.
The common persimmon, Diospyros
Nlrganiana, ranges throughout the coun-
try east of the Alleghenies as far north as
New Haven, Conn, and west OF the Allie
ghenies from the valley of the Colorado
River, In Texas, to Southeastern Iowa
aud Southern Ohio. When grown in the
open ground il becomes tree forty or
fifty feet high, with trunk rather more
than foot through, and q rounded top
head, and spreading and sometimes
0rooplng branches. Under favorable
forest conditions In the Mississippi Ba-
sin ii sometimes reaches hight OF more
than one hundred feet, with a slender
trunk, free from branches, seventy or
eighty feet long. One OF these trees stand
ing IN the old aboreLum OF Kew, which
was presented by the Duke of Argyle 10
George Ill, is still growing, says Gdr0ef
and Forest, apparently contented as
in it's native habitat, and measures moro
than sixty feet In hight, with spread of
about thirty teet.a trunk which girths
five feet four inches, breast high.
The fruit OF the persinmon ripens in
midsummer near the gulf. but does not
mature until late in autumn in the North,
and hangs on the branches until after
heavy frost. 1t is an inch to an inch and q
halt IN diameter, although it varies much
in different parts OF the country and on
different individual trees, not only in
size and shape, but especially in quality.
The early explorers i'll America found
this fruit used by the Indians and were
glad to avail themselves of it, and pro-
nounce it pleasant and somewhat lusci-
Gus, although they discovered that when
not fully ripe "pessim were harsh
and choaky and furred in a mans mouth
like alum"
The varia billty of the fruit and it's i'm
provements by selection and cultivation
have brought 1t recently TO the attention
OF nursery and many varieties are
now propagated and sold in different
parts OF the country, so that Il seems des-
tined to become a genuine addition to our
orchard fruits. We are not aware that
any successful efforts at crossing our ma
tive species have been made, or that it
has been hybrIdiZed with the so-calIed
kaki, which has been cultivated for gen.
erations as fruit tree in Japan, where
the climate is quite as trying as that OF
New Eng land, and there seems no reason
why plants of this \ orthern strain should
not succeed in our Middle States. at all
events, by hybridizing it with our native
species we might hope TO secure native
fruits of high flavor and ornamental trees
OF great interest, for the kaki, with its
luscious leaves and large, bright-coloreCf
fruit. which is not equaled in beauty by
any other fruit grown in north temperate
climates. would add greatly to the inter-
est of our rural landscapes. AS an orna-
mental tree our native persimmon GER
tainly deserves attention, not only be-
cause OF its pale, orange-colored fruit, but
because it is adapted to a great variety
of conditions, from light sandy soils to
deep. rich bottom lands. Its habit is
good its leaves are large and glossy, its
fruit ornamental and it is subject to COM
paratively few diseases or insect enemies.