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642 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
THE POMELO (synonym, Grape Fruit). 
(Citrus pomelanus.) : eee) 
Although closely related tothe shaddock, this is a fruit of excellent 
quality. It ripens mainly after the orange is gone and is then 
highly esteemed. Florida produces the best in quality and almost — 
the entire amount grown. Im the northern markets it is becoming 
popular and will be a very profitable crop to grow. The flavoris — 
quite peculiar. It is somewhat bitter, but withal very, agreeable, 
especially after a second or third trial. There is to my mind no © 
more wholesome and refreshing fruit for dessert use during the_ 
spring and summer. It should be eaten by cutting the fruit in 
sh hi crosswise and using a spoon to avoid the bitter taste of the 
rind, 
Most varieties are of large size, often 5 inches or more in diam-— 
eter, and nearly round, being slightly flattened at the stem and .~ 
blossom ends. The color is uniformly a light yellow. The name 
“‘ srape fruit” was given to it from the fact that the fruits hang so 
closely along the branches as to crowd each other and in the dis-. 
tance look like huge clusters of yellow grapes; but the name is — 
otherwise so inappropriate that I have decided to use pomelo instead, 
which name is, however, less used than the former. 
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THE KAKT* (or Japan Persimmon), 
(Diospyros kakt.) 
So far as I have learned the first trees of Diospyros kaki grown in 
North America were from seeds obtained and sent by Commodore 
Perry, of the U.S. Navy, to Lieutenant Maury, in 1856, and were 
planted at the Naval Observatory at Washington. The first fruit 
was produced on these trees in 1860. None of these seedlings, so far 
as known, were distributed or any of their progeny, and the old trees - 
are now dead. 
The next introduction of this species was by a lot of seeds imported 
from Japan by Mr. William Saunders, of the United States Depart-. 
ment of Agriculture, in 1863. They were planted on the grounds of 
the Department and germinated freely, and a part of the seedlings 
were sent out for trial. Some of the original trees grew to bearing 
size, and in at least one case produced about a bushel of fruit ona 
single tree, but all of these older trees on the grounds of the Depart- 
ment are now dead, Owing to the crude state of pomology in Japan 
it was almost impossible to get grafted trees until about the year 
1870, when the Department of Agriculture imported a lot of grafted 
trees of named varieties. These were distributed all over the United 
States, but principally in California and the Gulf States. The nomen- 
clature of these varieties was very imperfect, many trees being with- 
out name, some with dual names, and different varieties with the 
same name, as subsequent experience has proven. . 
At the present time (1887) great difficulty is experienced in identi-~ 
fying the varieties of this fruit; but in response to my requests a 
large number of specimens were this year sent here for study and 
comparison. These were from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, 
*Pronounced Kahkee, 
