414 [ THE KAKI, OR CHINESE DATE PLUM. 



or inferior sorts, but may be budded or grafted with 

 approved cultivated sorts. The Kaki, however, does 

 best when budded or grafted when quite young, that is 

 in a year or two after being transplanted from the seed 

 bed. Seeds of Diospiros virginiana and Diospyros Lotus 

 are dealt with in the same manner, and the seedlings 

 may be used as stock when they are two or three 

 years old. 



Budding is done throughout the summer, but chiefly 

 in July-August, when the new wood has ripened suffi- 

 ciently to furnish good buds. Grafting is done in 

 February or early in March when the buds are still 

 dormant, ordinary cleft-grafting and tongue grafting 

 being the methods most in use. In any case, it is 

 preferable to bud or graft at ground level or at a few 

 centimetres above the ground, and afterwards the plants 

 may be trained as standards, if required. 



Young Kaki trees, like other deciduous trees, are 

 transplanted in winter or rather from the moment that 

 they shed their leaves in autumn until the buds begin to 

 swell in early spring. Some manure should be given to 

 them, but must not be allowed to come in contact with 

 their roots, and afterwards may be treated much in the 

 same way as a pear tree. The distance at which the 

 trees should be planted apart must vary according to the 

 vigour and habit of the sort which is grown, but for most 

 sorts a distance of 2| to 3 metres is sufficient. Under 

 irrigation and in partly shaded situations, the tree 

 makes quick growth and attains a good size, but the 

 fruit does not seem to suffer in quality on account of the 

 smaller share of sunshine. The fruit begins to show 

 colour in September, but takes a long time to mature 

 well and it happens frequently that the tree loses its 

 foliage rather early in autumn, when the fruit is only half 

 ripe, in which case we have the strange phenomenon of a 

 leafless tree in full fruit. Pruning should be limited to a 

 mere cleaning of dead twigs, at the same time trimming 



