New Jerfey, Raccoon, 345 



ter. The fouthern provinces again have 

 lefs perennial grafs, as the cattle may be 

 in the fields all the winter. However care- 

 ful ceconomifts have got feeds of perennial 

 grafTes from England, and other European 

 ftates, and fowed it in their meadows, 

 where they feem to thrive exceedingly well. 

 The Perjimon (Diofpyros Virginiana) was 

 pretty common here : I have already men- 

 tioned it before, but I intend now to add 

 fome more particulars. Some of its fruits 

 began to ripen and to become fit for eating 

 about this time, for they always ripen very 

 late in autumn, and then the people eat 

 them like other fruit : they are very fweet 

 and glutinous, yet have a little aftringency; 

 I frequently ufed to eat a great quantity of 

 them, without feeling the leaft inconve^- 

 nience. From the perfimon feveral £«- 

 glijhmen and Swedes brew a very palatable 

 liquor in the following manner. As foon 

 as the fruit is ripe, a fufficient quantity is 

 gathered, which is very eafy, as each tree 

 is well flocked with them. Thefe perfimon 

 apples are put into a dough of wheat or 

 other flour, formed into cakes, and put into 

 an oven, in which they continue till they are 

 quite baked, and fufficiently dry, when they 

 are taken out again : then, in order to brew 

 the liquor, a pot full of water is put on the 



fire 



