A KAKI CLASSIFICATION 



Japanese Persimmon Probably a Conglomerate Species -Only Satisfactory Method 



of Arranging Its Varieties Seems to be on Basis of Behavior When 



Pollinated — Influence of Seed on Fruit. 



H. Harold Hi-.me, Clcn Saint Mary, Florida. 



WHEN any kind of fruit is 

 represented b}- onl\- a few 

 varieties, it is an easy matter 

 to remember all the character- 

 istics and peculiarities by which these 

 varieties may be distinguished from one 

 another. It is not necessary to classify 

 them and moreover it is hardly possible 

 to do so as the variations are not 

 sufficiently numerous to establish the 

 j^roujj boundaries by which each variety 

 should be confined and at the same time 

 scj^arated from its relatives. But as 

 the number of varieties of any kind of 

 fruit increases, it becomes imjjossiblc to 

 remember the characteristics of each 

 and every variety, and it becomes 

 necessary to introduce some svstcm of 

 classification to enable the pomologist 

 more easily to identify and handle them. 

 The first step that the systematic 

 jjomologist finds necessary in takinj^; U]j 

 any kind of fruit represented by numer- 

 ous varieties is to arrange them into a 

 number of classes or groups, ]3lacing 

 those which present some well marked 

 characteristics by themselves, and defin- 

 ing them by those characters, then 

 separating out another groujj on other 

 lines, and so on. until the whole list of 

 varieties has been divided u]) and 

 sejjarated . 



The number of \'arieties of J), kaki 

 grown in the United States for many 

 years has been quite limited. But 

 recently a large number of new varieties 

 have been introduced and it now 

 becomes imperative that all varieties, 

 both old and new, should be classified 

 into ea.sily recognized grou])s. 



In 1904, the writer classified' all 

 varieties of D. kaki a\'ailable at that 



time, dividing them into three groups, 

 viz : light fleshed, mixed fleshed, and dark 

 fleshed varieties. This system of classi- 

 fication was founded on insufficient 

 knowledge of the behavior of D. kaki 

 fruit and is now known to be worthless. 

 In the bulletin on Japanese persim- 

 mons from the Horticultural Experi- 

 ment Station, Okitsu, Japan, they are 

 divided into Sweet and Astringent varie- 

 ties. This grouping may be satisfactory 

 in a measure, but, if the conditions are 

 the same as with us, it is certain to lead 

 to confusion. The chief objection is 

 that when varieties in the Sweet group 

 are seedless they fall into the Astringent 

 group. Now, any system which permits 

 of a variety being transferred from one 

 group to another owing to the vagaries 

 of eircvimstance is not likely to prove 

 satisfactory. In other words, the basis 

 of grouping is not stable, it is in itself a 

 variable character and is therefore un- 

 tenable. 



\ SOUND BASIS. 



In searching about for a basis of 

 classification, rendered necessary by the 

 very large introductions of new varieties 

 from China, Japan, Algeria, France and 

 elsewhere, as well as by the bringing 

 together of all varieties now in America, 

 it has finally been decided that the 

 flesh characters upon which the first 

 American classification was l:)ased form 

 a satisfactory liasis of classification if 

 ap])lied in their proper significance. In 

 the final analysis the flesh characters 

 are fixed by the pollination factor and 

 this factor finds its most striking expres- 

 sion in the color and texture of the flesh. 



It is only within recent years that we 

 have been able to explain some of the 



'Hume, H. Harold and Reniicr, V. C. Jai)anc'sc IVrsimmnns. liul. 71, I'lorida .Vj^ricultural 

 Exijcrimcnt Station. Mar. 6.S-1 10. 1004." 



400 



