iooo The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



fruit or as a stock on which to graft the persimmon. In China it is largely 

 cultivated, and the fruits, known as hei-tsao or "black dates," are an article of 

 commerce. . (A. H.) 



The date-plum was early introduced into England, being cultivated by Gerard 1 

 in 1633 or earlier. It grows easily from seed, and, according to Loudon, at the rate 

 of 12 to 18 inches annually, if planted in rich soil, 2 but requires a warmer climate than 

 ours and never attains a large size, so far as we know, in England ; though trees of 

 20 feet or so in height are sometimes seen in botanic gardens and in parks. It 

 ripens fruit usually every year at Kew. 



Mayr 8 figures the wood, which is very remarkable on account of the 

 contrast in colour between the black heart -wood and the pale sap-wood. 

 Judging from this and the wood of the Japanese kaki, this wood if procurable 

 would be valuable for cabinet-making ; but, so far as I know, it is nowhere common 

 enough to have acquired any recognised commercial value. (H. J. E.) 



1 Herball, Johnson's edition, 1495 (1633). 



2 The seedlings which I have raised from seed collected in France, seem liable to injury by frost, and do not ripen their 

 shoots when young. 



3 Fremdldnd. Wald- u. Parkbaumc, 464, t. xvii. fig. 29 (1906). 



END OF VOL. IV 



Printed by R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, Edinburgh. 



