Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-06-02
a TooTHsoME MoRsEL.


surrounding country for some
plants l needed for the plantations
in town. In due time l found what
wanted, but instead of being con-
tented with my easy success 1 went
farther on and soon came into trou-
ble-that is, I lost my way, and din
ner hour came before l knew
where / was at. / did not need
to starve, however, and it was then
and there that the resources of this
seemingly so desolate country be-
came apparent to me, and, though
no hospitable shanty was visible,
the woods laid the table, and
dainty one in the bargain, for l
could feast on persimmons, drink
my own and the rest of mankind's
health in clear, ice cold spring water
and finish up by finding my dessert
in prickly pears. 1t may not be
quite devoid of interest that dis
covered soon after that I had not
been far from Pinehurst at all, only
had circled around the town instead
of cutting through. Since that day
l have preserved deep gratitude
toward our native fruits, and I al
ways try to cultivate the taste of
our guests from the north so that
they may share my liking.
For those who like to know lit
tie more of the whereabouts of the
persimmons / write the following
notes: The persimmon (Diospyros
virginianaj grows nearly every
where in North Carolina and is
found as far north as New York
state and Rhode Island, but COM
monty it is not hardy beyond Phila-
delphia. 1t will be easily recogniz-
ed in our woods by its perfectly
symmetrical growth and its gray.
ish, somewhat rough bark, and, last
but not least, by its fruits. Though
usually not higher than Is to 20 feet
with us, there are specimens in this
vicinity over 40 feet tall and of {.
trunk diameter of about Is inches
(McKenzie's farm. The foliage is
bright green and glossy, appears
early and changes to purple before
dropping.
The rather insignificant whitish
blossoms open in June, are fragrant
and much relished by bees. They
are followed by the quickly develop,
ing fruit, which attains its full size
and color by August. But woe tc
the investigating stranger who
might be tempted to try these in.
viting looking plumlike fruits. Holy
horror will soon depict itself upon
his face, and his mouth will at once
take all kinds of forms from whis-
Ting toa broad grin. He will swear
off the use of persimmons for all
time to come, and-will like them
the more later on. For, mind We, at
that time the fruits are pickering
and astringent above all things and
want to be left quite alone.
Everything, however, cometh I'M
to him who waits, and the first early
frost will accomplish quite mar
velous metamorphosis. Instead of
looking smooth and plump any
more, they will then be somewhat
withered, and, best of all, the des-
picable astringent taste will have
made way to a delicious sweetness
resembling somewhat that Of dates.
Now the time has come for man and
possum to revel in simmons. The
gourmet will fare even better yet
by following the old druggists
adage, Shaken before taken, and
accordingly he shakes the tree and
does not mind to pick up the juicy
fruit from the ground, The ripe
fruits are sometimes used in the
making Of beer simmon beer
which is said to be mot bad, while
the fermented fruit furnishes a
brandy that improves with age.
The wood is found very useful for
shoe lasts, mallets and violins and
is regarded as an equal to ash OF
beech and nearly coming up to
hickory. A decoction of the astrin-
gent inner bark is supposed to be
salubrious against intermittent fe-
vers.
There halls from Japan another
species of persimmon, the Diospy-
ros kaki, which offers some special
advantages. It bears much larger
and, il possible, sweeter fruits than
our native representative, and the
fruits are as delicious before as they
are after frosts. This Japanese per-
simmon is fairly hardy with us and
under propagation now in our nurs-
eries.-Pinehurst Outlook.
The Duelist's Disease.
Inv Dono ~ Az D.-..