280 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



are used in the manufacture of lime juice and citric acid, while 

 essential oil is extracted from the rind. The lime juice is obtained 

 by pressing the fruits between rollers and is usually marketed in 

 large containers. Citric acid is obtained from the concentrated 

 juice, which is made by boiling down in open vessels. 



Varieties. Through prolonged seed propagation several more 

 or less distinct types have been originated. In India, the home of 

 the lime, several named varieties are known. In America, Hawaii, 

 and the West Indian Archipelago the commonest type is that known 

 as the Mexican or West Indian lime. Of this type there are many 

 distinguishable forms, some of which are much larger and finer than 

 the average. But few of them have been named, propagated by 

 budding, and disseminated upon their merits. 



Other varieties are the Persian and the Tahiti. The Tahiti is, 

 in Florida, one of the most highly esteemed varieties of lime. The 

 fruit is large, the rind of lemon-yellow color, the quality of juice 

 excellent, and there are few seeds or none. The fruit is said to have 

 a tendency to decay on the trees. In California this variety is not 

 a success. (Hawaii E. S. B. 9.) 



PERSIMMONS.* 



The Persimmon or Date Plum (Diospyrus Virginiana, L.) be- 

 longs to the order EbenaceaB, which is so named in consequence of 

 several species of this genus yielding the black wood called ebony. 

 It is a native of North America, and is found growing wild in most 

 of the Southern States, where it produces fruit in the greatest abun- 

 dance. It is one of the wild fruits of the United States which has 

 received but little attention, although it possesses many desirable 

 qualities which when brought to a higher state of perfection by 

 selection and cross fertilization will undoubtedly cause it to be more 

 highly appreciated by the farmer and the horticulturist. Since new 

 methods of propagation and cultivation are being introduced in its 

 culture, so that new trees frequently begin bearing at from three to 

 five years from the bud or graft, it is believed that this fruit is capa- 

 ble of being improved to such an extent as to make it of commercial 

 importance equal to that of sotne of the Japanese varieties. 



Culture. The persimmon is similar to the peach and plum in 

 its choice of soil and location, but it will grow well on almost any 

 kind of soil, from rich bottom land to poor thin soil of the hilltops. 

 However, a warm soil well exposed to the sun is the best. The per- 

 simmon is readily propagated from seed. The seedlings, however, 

 especially from cultivated varieties, cannot be depended upon to 

 reproduce themselves. In fact this fruit varies greatly in the wild 

 state. Twenty trees raised from the seeds of one parent tree may 

 produce twenty distinct varieties; therefore resort must be had to 

 budding or grafting the young stocks with buds or scions from the 

 variety which it is desired to propagate. A desirable seedling vari- 

 ety may be multiplied by breaking up the roots of the parent tree, 

 thus causing it to throw up sprouts or suckers. These, however, are 

 difficult to transplant successfully owing to a deficiency of root de- 

 velopment. 



* For illustration, see page 465. 



