The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-09-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE PERsIMMoN.

Inc perSlmmon, or date-pium, is
found growing wild in most of the
southern states, where it produces
fruit in the greatest abundance. 1t is
especially adapted to the soil and eli
mate of the southern half of Indiana,
but will ripen its fruit as far north as
the great lakes.
The fruit has a very disagreeable,
astringent quality when green, or but
partly ripe, but this disappears in
most varieties when the fruit becomes
fully ripe. The date of ripening varies
from the LIST of August to December
The old notion of early botanists that
this fruit must all be subjected to the
action of frost before 1t becomes edi.
BILE is now known to be false, as many
varieties ripen their fruit In August
and September, long before the APP
pearance of frost. In fact, these early
ripening varieties are preferable be-
cause of their greater market value,
since they present the best appear
ance, and have sold for from six to
eight dollars per bushel in the large
cities.
The fruits vary greatly as to the
number of seeds which they contain.
Most of the old wild varieties are full
Of large seeds, which is a most unde.
sirable quality, but in many of the
newer varieties only two or three
seeds are found in single fruit, and.
some are practically seedless. The
fruit differs also in quality; some va
rieties are as sweet as dates, while
others never become edible. being so
exceedingly puckery, or astringent,
that neither sun nor frost has any
appreciable effect on them.
The persimmon Is readily propa-
gated from seeds, which should be
procured in the fall or early winter,
and planted in the same manner as
peach-pits. The young seedlings will
often attach height of over two feet
the first season. These seedlings, es-
pecially from cultivated varieties, can
not be depended upon to reproduce
themselves. In fact, this fruit varies
greatly in the wild state. Twenty
trees raised from the seeds of one par
emit tree may produce 20 distinct va
rieties: we must therefore resort to
budding or grating the young stocks
with buds or scions from the variety
which we desire to propagate.
Both budding and grating should
be done In the spring. Fall budding
has proved failure on account of the
flow Of sap, which prevents the adj
herencc of the bud to the stock, but
the operation may be readily per.
formed in the spring as soon as the
bark will slip freely. Old trees may
be top-worked in the spring.
The persimmon is more difficult to
transplant successfully than almost
any other kind of fruit-tree. The
tree has q long center, or tap, root,
and if too much of this root is cut off
In transplanting, the tree will be most
sure to die. The safest plan is to Sc
cure quite young trees, one or two
years from the graft being preferable.
Older trees may be successfully plant
ed il they have been transplanted
once or twice while growing in the
nursery. The soil where the trees are
to be transplanted should be thor.
oughly pulverized with a subsoil-plow
to depth of at least eight inches be-
low the bottom roots, SO that an
abundance OF moisture may be sup
Piled to the young growing roots dur
ing the first season.
Transplanting is most successfully
done in autumn, as the tree then be-
comes adjusted to its place by spring,
and the roots, If properly pruned be-
fore planting, will be nicely calloused
and ready to throw out their fibrous
rootlets as soon as the warm DAYS of
spring appear. 1t is similar to the
peach and plum in it's choice of soil and
location, but it will grow well on al
most any kind of soil, from rich bot
tom land to poor, thin soil of the hill
tops. A warm soil, however, well ex-
posed to the sun, is best adapted to the
persimmon.
The persimmon may be greatly inn
proved by cultivation. 1t is especially
necessary that the trees be well cul-
tivated for the first few years after
planting, until they become adapted
to their new surroundings. The trees
will stand great deal of neglect when
once we'll started, but should not be
subjected to such treatment If one ex-
poets to secure the best results. In the
wild state the trees will thrive on very
thin land and under seemingly dis
couraging circumstances, but still bear
fruit of very good quality, but the
largest and best fruit is only produced
when the trees are kept in perfectly
healthy condition by cultivation.
VARIETIES.
Until recently there were no we'll.
defined varieties under cultivation. We
have found, however, many WE'LL
marked varieties growing wild. They
differ in quality as much as our cult.
waited appless Some are very astrin-
gent, others are insipid and worthless,
while still others are sweet and deli.
cious. Almost every tree is a variety
OF itself, as the persimmon, like the
apple, does not reproduce itself from
seed with certainty. In the wild state
1t is sometimes found growing in clus-