The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-10
THE PERsIAIMON.
MetamorphOsis Wrought I'm This Pc
cuIiar Fruit by the First Frost.

ny AhC Ahhh ~ hO70
From the Pinehurst outlook.
Two years ago went forth one fine jan
uary morning TO search the surrounding
country for some plants needed for the
plantations In town. In due time / found
what l wanted, but instead OF being con-
tented with my easy success, 1 went fur
Their on, and soon came into trouble; that
lie, / lost my way and dinner hour came
before 1 knew where l was at" l did
rot need to starve, however, and IL was
then and there that the resources of this
seemingly so desolate country became APP
parent to me, and though no hospitable
shanty was visible, the woods laid the ia
BILE, and a dainty one in the bargain, for /
could feast on perslmmons drink my own
and the rest OF manklnds health in clear,
ice-cold spring water, and finish up by
finding my dessert in prlckly pears It may
not be quite devoid of interest that / dis
covered soon after that / had not been
far from Pinehurst at all, only had crcled
around the town instead of cutting
through. Since that day I have preserved
deep gratitude toward our native fruits,
and / always try to cultivate the taste of
our guests from the North SO that they
may share my liking.
of the whereabouts of the perslmmons 1
write the following notes: The persimmon
(Diospyros virginiana) grows nearly every
where In North Carolina and Is found as
far north as New York state and Rhode
Island, but commonly It Is not hardy be-
You'd Philadelphia. IL will be easily recog-
nized in our woods by it's perfectly sym
metrical growth, and ats grayish, some
what rough bark, and last, but not least
l..r bferba
than fifteen to twenty feet with US, there
are specimens in this vicinity over forty
feet tall and of trunk diameter of about
fifteen inches (McKenzie's farm. The fol-
iage Is bright green and glossy, appears
early and changes to purple before drop
ping. The rather Insignificant whitish BIOS
SONS open in June, are fragrant and much
relished by bees. They are followed by the
quickly developing fruit, which attains ats
full size and color by August. But woe TO
the investigating stranger who might be
tempted to try these inviting looking
plum-like fruits. Holy horror will soon de-
pict itself upon his face. and his mouth
will at once take all kinds of forms from
whistling 10 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 ye. al that time the fruits
are pickering and astrlngent above all
Everything however, cometh unto him
who waits and the first early frost viii
accomplish quite a marvellous metamor-
phosis, Instead of looking smooth and
plump any more, they will then be some-
what withered, and, best Of all. the de-
splsable astringent taste will have made
way to delicious sweet
ness resembling somewhat that
| of dates Now the time has
come for man and 'possum to revel IN
'simonns. The gourmet will fare even
better yet by following the old druggist 3
adage. shaken before taken" and ac-
| cordingly 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 a beer-'simmon
beer which Is said 10 be mot bad"
while the fermented fruit furnishes a
brandy that improves with age. The wood
Is found very useful for shoe lasts, NAL
| lets and vlolins, and Is regarded as an
equal to ash or beech, and nearly coming
up to hickory A decoction of the astrin-
gent inner bark Is supposed to be salubrl-
Gus against intermittent fevers.