404 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



THE PERSIMMON 



The Persimmon of the Southern States (Diospyros Virginiana) 

 was introduced into California in early days, as there are trees 

 thirty to forty feet high growing in 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 im- 

 proved varieties must be reproduced by grafting on seedlings of 

 either the Japanese or American species. The tree seems to thrive 

 in any fair fruit soil, taking very kindly to close soils if well cul- 

 tivated. The amounts of fruit now reaching our market are in- 

 creasing, and a demand is found for certain amounts at fair prices ; 

 but there is no object now apparent for large increase in produc- 

 tion. This fruit, so highly esteemed in the Orient, and so highly 

 praised by travelers, has not become as popular as expected on this 

 coast, nor have the great markets of the East required more than 

 a carload or two a year so far. SucrTlimited shipments have, how- 

 ever, sold well in the large Atlantic coast cities, where a consid- 

 erable number of Orientals have congregated. Americans who 

 wish persimmons at all seem to prefer the smaller but more piquant 

 Virginia species. 



Recently, however, the local demand has increased because of 

 the large numbers of Japanese who are now upon the Pacific coast, 

 and a shipping demand for the fruit from Seattle to the Hawaiian 

 Islands and other Pacific ports has arisen. Local sale in San Fran- 

 cisco and Los Angeles is profitable in a small way. The removal of 

 astringency while the fruit remains firm has been successfully ac- 

 complished by Mr. George C. Roeding, of Fresno, following a Jap- 

 anese method. It is simply to place the fruit in tubs, from which 

 saki, or Japanese "rice beer," has been lately removed. The tubs 

 are hermetically sealed, and the fruit left in them from eight to ten 

 days. When it is then removed, it is found to have altogether lost 

 the puckering power. Mr. Roeding says that he used eight large 

 saki tubs, each of which would hold twenty-five gallons, and in 

 those treated one thousand pounds of persimmons. 



Perhaps the largest single persimmon-producing proposition in 

 California is that of Ira Avery, in Placer County, which is thus 

 described by Mr. R. E. Hodges : 



A mile down grade into the American River canyon, protected on all 



by magnificent hills, Ira Avery's father-in-law planted Japenese per- 



' mm n iol? es m 1876 ' and three of them are stin thrifty and bearing. It 



in 1887 that Mr. Avery bought the ranch and planted 50 more. In the 



years since then, many persimmons have been planted in whatever nooks 



t the ranch were available until now he has 1500 trees ranging from one 



o J8 years old. Four hundred were planted last spring, and one of these 



