SMALL DECIDUOUS TREES. 139 
greenish yellow ; fruit usually round, but sonetimes long, 
slightly pointed, exceedingly astringent when green, but be- 
comes soft and sweet when ripe, at which time it is genera!- 
_ ly deep orange yellow. In its more Northern limits it does 
not ripen until frost ; farther South, it matures before, con- 
sequently it does not always require cold weather to make 
it eatable, as is sometimes asserted. The persimmon is va- 
riable, like most other fruits—some trees producing much 
better specimens than others. They are usually about an 
inch in diameter; but I have met with trees that produced 
fruit nearly two inches in length, and ripened nearly a 
month in advance of the general crop. It deserves to be 
more generally cultivated, and there is no reason why a 
really superb variety may not be produced from the native 
persimmon. The tree is quite ornamental, and grows 
twenty to thirty feet high. . Native of New Jersey, and 
localities west and south. 
There are several foreign species which are sometimes. 
cultivated in this country. The Diospyrus kaki—Japan 
persinmon—and Diospyrus Lotus, a native of Italy, are 
both hardy in the latitude of New York city. 
Evonymus atrropurrureus. (Burning Bush, Wahoo, 
Spindie Tree, Strawberry Tree.) 
Leaves deep green, oval oblong, somewhat fointed ; 
young branches green, partially angled on thrifty young 
sprouts; flowers deep purple, inconspicuous ; fruit usually 
four-sided, slightly winged, containing several bright 
crimson seeds; the pod, inclosing the seeds, is also crim- 
son; very ornamental in autumn, when full of fruit; seeds 
