402 



JOCBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND 0OTTA6E OABDENEB. 



[ November 26, 1866. 



fonrd, rosy lilac with a silvery back ; Yolande, and Purpnrea 

 elegane, purplish crimson, fine in colour though not so large 

 as some. 



In the general collection we noticed the following as the 

 most conspicuous for their size, colours, and beauty — viz., 

 Prince of Wales and Virgin Queen, magnificent, the one 

 purplish violet, the other pure white, and nearly 5 inches 

 across; John Salter; Prince Alfred; Queen of Whites, with 

 some splendid blooms ; General Bainbrigge, Crimson Velvet, 

 Cherub, Beverley, Golden Dr. Brock, Defiance, as a fine speci- 

 men ; Lord Clyde, crimson ; Lord Banelagh, Rifleman, Sir G. 

 Bowyer, Lady Hardinge, Hereward, Donald Beaton. Pandora, 

 Prince Albert, Anaxo. Kev. J. Dix, Sam Weller, Jardin des 

 Plantes, Antonelli, Counters of Granville, Raymond, St. 

 Columba, golden amber ; Yellow Perfection, Julie Lagrav^re, 

 Oliver Cromwell, Mr. Wyness. and Golden Beverley. 



In rear of the specimen plants on the side shelves before 

 alluded to, Mr. Forsyth has a number of fine standard Pompons 

 with stems about 3 feet high from the pot, and fine heads of 

 bloom. The Pumpons are well suited for this mode of training, 

 and as grown and flowered by Mr. For-syth, are very effective 

 in the conservatory. Among the specimens trained in this 

 manner were fine examples of Bob, crimson ; White Trevenna, 

 a remarkably free-blooming variety, and excellent for the pur- 

 pose ; Cedo Nulli and Lilac Cedo Nulli, of which the same may 

 be said ; Andromeda, Aurore Borfiale, General Canrobert, 

 Duruflet, and Lilac Gem. Several Anemone-flowered Pompona, 

 are also grown in the same way. Among the newer Pompons, 

 in addition to Little Gem, the most notable are Madge Wild- 

 fire, red with golden tips ; Little Creole, brownish orange ; and 

 St. Michael, golden yellow ; and of older kinds Salamon, Mus- 

 tapha, Florence, and Brown Cedo Nulli. 



It may be added, that besides the show-house there are 

 several others in which, in addition to the large stock of bed- 

 ding plants which is annually produced, there are specimen 

 Chrysanthemums in various stages of flowering, and in con- 

 cluding we may mention that we saw in the seed-shop blooms 

 of two seedlings which gained first-class certificates at Stoke 

 Newington Sbow. These were raised by Mr. Morgan, of Ply- 

 mouth, and are called Mr. Morgan and Mr. Everany. The 

 former is of a delicate lilac, and the latter in the style of Oliver 

 Cromwell, reddish chestnut, and golden tinged at the tips. 



Temple Gardens. — In the garden of the Inner Temple, Mr. 

 Broome, and in that of the Middle Temple, Mr. Dale, have as 

 usual a good display, Mr. Broome's being by far the more ex- 

 tensive, and including excellent examples of nearly all the 

 leading varieties. Theee, having been protected by an awning, 

 have not suffered from the frost like the Pompons and others 

 exposed in the beds, and have been inspected by thousands. 



THE PERSIMMON TREE WANTS TO BE 

 CIVILISED. 



All over our vast domain, from Cape Cod to Florida Reefs, 

 there flourishes in a sort of neglectful luxuriance a beautiful 

 little tree, known as the Persimmon, or American Date Plum. 

 The botanists, who are always fond of calling things by hard, 

 outlandish names, name it the Diospyios virginiana, and tell 

 ns that it belongs to the family of plants known as the ditecious, 

 meaning there by that there are two kinds of trees, one pro- 

 ducing female and the other male flowers, both of which must 

 be grown near together, in order to produce fruit. 



The Persimmon tree grows from 30 to CO feet high, is of 

 graceful and symmetrical shape, has long, glossy, shining 

 leaves, and wbfn loaded with fruit, present a very handsome 

 appearance. There seems to be a much larger number of sterile 

 than of fenile tees, as they are found wild in the woods. This 

 tree is not very dainty in respect to the soil on which it feeds. 

 It is found on the moist borders of the Southern swamps, by 

 the running streams of the Middle States, and on the high and 

 rocky hills or a more northern latitude. It seems to love both the 

 deep black soil "f the American bottom, and the thin, gravelly 

 earth of our hill sides. No American wild fruit, if we except 

 the Strawberry, can adapt itself to so wide a range of latitude, 

 or can tluurish in such a variety of soils. 



*' GrowiDg in valleys deep nnd fair, 

 And ou the mountHin bigli, 

 And in the silent wilderness. 

 Where no man passeth by." 



In size, shape, flavour, and quality, the Persimmon varies as 

 much as the Pear or Apple. On some trees it is scarcely larger 

 than a Cherry, while on others it equals in size the largest 



Plum. Scarcely two trees can be found, even in the same 

 neighbourhood, that produce frnit of the same degree of excel- 

 lence. Sometimes the fruit is so mellow at maturity that it 

 is crushed by its own weight as it falls to the ground ; at other 

 times it will bear a large amount of pressure without injury. 

 Its period of ripening, too, is almost as variable as that of any 

 cultivated fruit. 



As with the form, size, and period ot ripening, so also the 

 flavour of this fruit is wonderfully varied. Sometimes it is 

 hardly fit to be eaten, even after the frost has exerted its in- 

 fluence to soften its astringency. Of such as this old Captain 

 John Smith, of precious memory, must have tasted when he 

 exclaimed, " It turueth the month awry with torment." So, 

 too, it is likely that it was an unfrozen, unripe, and naturally 

 very poor Persimmon that the Poor paddy tasted, and called on 

 the Virgin for help, thinking he was poisoned. That there are 

 varieties of this fruit whose disagreeable astringency not even 

 the frost can remove, and other sorts that are insipid and 

 almost lacking in the peculiar flavour of the Persimmon, is 

 true ; but then objections can be raised against every kind of 

 uncultivated, and most kinds of cultivated fruits, taken as a 

 class. It is also true that there are trees of this that produce 

 fruit that is at once sweet, mellow, luscious and delicious. 



The Persimmon is one of the most nutritious fruits that can 

 anywhere be found. The fruit contains so much nitrogen, that 

 carnivorous animals will devour it with relish. The opossum 

 feasts on it during the latter part of autumn, as it ripens on 

 the sunny slopes of Kentucky, and and then rolls down like a 

 butter ball. During the late war much use was made of Per- 

 simmons, as supplies of meat and grain were scanty ; and be- 

 fore and since the war, the Persimmon has been highly prized 

 all over the south. Persimmon beer in an old Virginian house- 

 hold, is what home-brewed is in the establishment of an 

 English country gentleman. It is a beverage which unites all 

 the excellencies of old wine, new cider, and fresh-drawn milk. 

 It invigorates, but does not intoxicate. 



In former times, in the old dominion, they made brandy of 

 the Persimmon ; but it was in the good old days of " pure 

 nature and primeval innocence " when logwood was used to 

 colour cloth, aud before country druggists sold prussic acid. 

 But Persimmon beer does not find a substitute ; it is a 

 southern institution that no plan of reconstruction will seek to 

 change. The freedman now, as the bondman did of old, gathers 

 the ripe Persimmons, mashes them with bran, dries and bakes 

 the mass, and puts it by to brew beer from for use in the harvest 

 or tobacco field. 



A good article of vinegar, too can be made from Persimmons, 

 by simply macerating them in warm water amd leaving them 

 to ferment, as you would cider or high wines. Doubtless a 

 superior yeast could be made from Persimmons, judging from 

 the great amount of nitrogen they contain ; but we doubt if 

 the experiment has ever been tried. Recently, while travelling 

 among the mountains of Arkansas, we found the Persimmon 

 cured in dry houses the same as Apples or Peaches, ready to 

 be cooked fur the table. 



Now what we are going to say is, that a tree which is SO 

 promising as the Persimmon deserves to become civilised; 

 and that its merits should be taken in charge by some of the 

 enterprising horticulturists who have done so much for the 

 Pear and Apple, which are not half so promising in their 

 wild sta'e. — [Prairie Farmer.) 



[Thi^ fruit tree deserves in England a place under glass. It 

 is no novelty, for Parkinson, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 

 described and portraited it, adding, " it hath not borne flowers 

 or fruit in our country, but the fruit as it came to us was 

 firm as a Date, and almost as sweet." Attention was drawn to 

 it in 1854 by M. Morren, in the " Belgique Horticole," where 

 there is a good coloured portrait of the fruit. It requires to be 

 grown under glass, if ripe fruit is desired. This is round, ter- 

 minated by a pmall and point, about the size of a small Medlar ; 

 skin orange- coloured. Like the Medlar, it requires to be kept 

 unt 1 " luscious in decay," and is then quite a sweetmeat. Its 

 flowers are yellow, opening in July, and the fruit is mature 

 when the leaves fall in November. — Eds.] 



PRIZES FOR BRITISH FERNS. 



Few people are aware of the immense size some species will 

 attain under cultivation, and as great interest is now taken in 

 them, can we not, by offering tempting prizes, bring some of 

 the finest-grown specimens before the pubUo ? 



