LOQUAT AND PERSIMMON 397 



THE LOQUAT 



The loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica) is widely grown in California as 

 an ornamental plant, and a small amount of fruit is profitably marketed 

 each year. During the last twenty years a very marked improvement 

 in loquats has been achieved by painstaking effort by Mr. C. P. Taft, of 

 Orange, whose experience is freely drawn upon in this chapter. Mr. 

 Taft's work has demonstrated that this fruit is susceptible of improve- 

 ment in size, flavor, appearance, in bearing habit of the tree, and in 

 direction of early and late varieties, and in all these directions not only 

 in the line of better fruit, but fruit which commands in the market 

 several times the value of the common types. Upon the basis of the 

 new varieties the season for the loquat is from February to June, the 

 bulk of the crop coming in April and the first half of May. The Ad- 

 vance Loquat was the first of the new varieties to attract attention. It 

 is very prolific. The fruit is often as much as three inches in length, 

 and from one inch to one and one-half inches in diameter ; it being of 

 a peculiar pear shape. The clusters frequently contain twenty speci- 

 mens. Its color is a bright orange yellow when fully ripe, and it should 

 never be picked until it is so. The flavor is distinct and very sweet. 

 Many compare it to the cherry. If not bruised when handled it will 

 keep easily two weeks, growing sweeter by the process, and will eventu- 

 ally shrivel up without decay, thus proving itself capable of being 

 shipped long distances. Mr. Taft has named the following varieties : 



Blush. Very large, much like Advance resistant to diseases. 



Advance. Yellow, pear-shaped, from two to three inches in length, clusters 

 very large, very sweet when fully ripe. 



Premier. Salmon-colored, oval, large, but not as large as the Advance, 

 sweet, but peculiar flavor . 



Victor. Largest, color pink to red, probably the best for canning. 



Pineapple. Very large, round, immense clusters; flesh white, skin yellow. 



Commercial. Very large, pear-shaped, yellow with white flesh. 





THE PERSIMMON 



The persimmon of the southern states (Diospyros Virginiana) was 

 introduced into California in early days some time ago, as there are 

 trees thirty to forty feet high growing on Rancho Chico. The widely- 

 distributed species, however, is the Japanese (Diospyros Kaki), of 

 which many varieties are now fruiting in different parts of the State. 

 The tree is quite hardy, and fruits freely both along the coast region 

 and in the interior. It easily takes the form of a low standard, and 

 with its large, glossy leaves during the summer, and its immense, high- 

 colored fruit clinging to the twigs after the leaves have fallen, it is a 

 striking object in the orchard or in the house garden. 



Persimmons grow readily from seed, but in most cases the improved 

 varieties must be reproduced by grafting on seedlings either of the 

 Japanese or American species. The tree seems to thrive in any fair 

 fruit soil, taking very kindly to close soils if well cultivated. The 

 amounts of fruit now reaching our markets are increasing and a de- 

 mand is found for certain amounts at fair prices, but there is no object 



