Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-05
Consider the Persimmon
Frederic J. Haskin.

~
Washington. ID. c., Nov 5.--Along
country pathway in Maryland, used by
dozens oi hikors every Sunday, stands .
larrr pcrsimmon tree loaded with fruit
which is now ripe.
of the passers-hy some stop and gather
up a few of the fallen pcrs;mmons, some
n.ver see tham mt all, and somo ask
wha, they arr and whether they are good
o. eat Doubtless all Of these people are
accustomed to pay in the city five to ten
cents apiece for apples, peaches, bananas,
and other common fruits Vet, here,
growing wild ard neglected Is native
American fruit which has more food
value than any of these, and as tine
flavor as tho hest of them, with rich soft
pulp aoucthing like that of bahed apple.
This fruit NAV he eaten fresh. IT may be
pr,,servcd IN several WAYS, ard II lends 1T
self 90 cooking mixed with corn meal or
nour. hotter than most other fruits it
may also be made into candies, puddings
aud icc cram, and whisper itN INTO
plrasaut beverage. IL may bo dried tor
WI ter keeping Ii Is nearly onc-thlrd
sugar aud in food value Is rivalod among
fruit only bv the date. for which we pay
such high prices.
For al of these reasons the persmmon
occupies place amorg the neglected
native products of America. IL was more
appreciatcd IN the old days than II is
nov for the Indians made good use OF 1t,
mixing II with their corn meal To make
sweet cake The early explorers of Amer
lea considered the persimmon great find.
and devoted much space 90 describing the
delights uf eating il when ripe, and It's
astonishing ability 20 pucker up the mouth
when green Such celebrities rs DE Soto
and Captain John Smith wrote about II at
lenrth But the persimmon failed 10
become fashionable, 80 that now COM
perativelv few city-dwelhng Americans
have ever tasted one. In few places II Is
gathered and sent Ia local markets, and
some slight progress hss been made IN
developing improved varieties but IT
must be- regarded IN the whole rs neg
lected food.
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
Although few persons seem aware Of
the fact, persimmons grow in almost all
parts uf the sout theastern quarter OF the
United States. as far west rs Central
Kansas, rs far north az New York and
Michigan and rs far south as the Caro-
hnss. The center Of abundance Is in
MARYLAND and the Nirginias, where the
tree Ia found IN almost all woodlands
n ~ssrns 60 gov IN all sorts of soils, in n
great varit of climates, and at various
elevations
Mos, Of the persinspons that grow in
this country 20 20 waste. Here and there
they arv gathered and sent TO local
n9arket but II YOU buy persimmon in
the market il ls more than likely 10 he
tho japanese variety, for which YOU will |
pay \ fancy price, although II cannot be |
said 20 he much better IN flavor or food |
value than the ones you might find grow |
ing Wild in your own section of the coun- /
try. In some places persimmon trees are |
cultivated after fashion, 50 that the |
fruu when II falls may be used SIS hog |
leed, and in few places IT s cultivated |
for the market In this way several diff |
f.reat varieties have been evolved.
The persimmon offers unusually good |
opportunities for Improvement by Sc |
lectlve breeding because Of the many |
variations which IL shows. Thus some OF |
the trees are tall and upright IN habit, |
while Others have pretty dropping form. |
Some Of them bear fruit less than an inch |
m diameter and some have fruit two
inches IN diameter. The fnIlt varlee
greatly in quality and flavor.
Most interesting of all is the WAY in
which tho harvest season Of various per-
simmon trees varies. IL is generally be
Ieved that a touch of frost Is necessary |
90 ripcn the fruit, but this Is said by the |
scientists not TO be true There are some |
tIees which regularly ripen their fruit SIS
early as August, and these would drop all |
81 then product long before the first frost. |
Other trees do not produce ripe fruit /
until November, and some Of the per- !
summons on these trees cling to the branch /
- as late Is February, II the opossums let |
them. furnishing the winter hiker with /
an unexpected dainty. |
CoULD By IMPROVED.
By selecting the trees of the most /
beautiful form and bearing the best fruit. |
. would be possible TO produce standard |
variety Of persimmon combining the |
hest qualities Of the best trees. The |
trouble - that many good trees have been /
ucstroyed nr allowed 20 die. so that valu- |
able strains have been lost for sll time /
jlIst as society often allows its best hu- /
msn stock 20 die out.
40 present there are perhaps a score |
- nurseries where seeding persimmon /
trees may be brought for ornamental |
plantlng as shade trees. The trees are
attractive for this purpose. They have +