34 Culture of the Persimmon. 



cool and backward, and the unusually severe frosts in October de- 

 stroyed the fruit ; not a single specimen was eatable. It is a mistaken 

 idea that frost is necessary to perfect the persimmon. The richest, 

 highest flavored samples I ever tasted, were ripened before the occur- 

 rence of frost. Freezing removes their astringency, but they are better 

 if the season is long enough to ripen them without it. Probably the 

 fruit would mature earlier in sandy or gravelly soils than in the rich 

 loam of the Illinois prairies. 



The barren and fertile flowers of the persimmon occur on different 

 trees, and are readily distinguished ; the former being smaller and 

 much more numerous than tlie latter. It is usually considered strictly 

 dioecious, but I have two or three trees producing staminate flowers 

 which occasionally bear a little fruit. This is uniformly quite small, 

 of peculiar form, — conical, tapering regularly from the base to a point, 

 — ripens early, and is of fine flavor. An old Kentuckian once told me 

 that the barren trees could be forced into bearing by thrashiiig the 

 branches with a pole. I have never tried this sort of castigation, but it 

 is possible there may be something in it. I have known the native mul- 

 berry, a tree of similar sexual characteristics, after bearing abundantly 

 for some years, produce only staminate blossoms for three or four sea- 

 sons, and afterwards revert to its former productiveness. 



The persimmon is commonly a small tree, although in favorable sit- 

 uations it soinetimes attains a considerable size. Forty years since 

 there were persimmon trees, near the mouth of the Illinois River, fifty 

 or sixty feet high, and two feet in diameter. It is a fine ornamental 

 tree, with rich, glossy foliage. It prunes itself, some of the small 

 branches dying every year, and breaking off' easily at the point of junc- 

 tion with the main limbs. The fertile trees bear abundantly, and, with 

 few exceptions, annually. Ripe persimmons laid down in sugar make 

 a sweetmeat which is highly esteemed. Any attempt at cooking them 

 without removing the seeds seems to revive their astringency. 



From my experience in the culture of the persimmon may be de- 

 rived the following conclusions : That it is worthy of cultivation as an 

 ornamental tree wherever it will thrive. That cultivation of any but 

 the earliest varieties for fruit in northern latitudes will result in disap- 

 pointment. That its strong tendency to produce varieties renders it 

 extremely probable that earlier, larger, and better sorts than any now 

 known, may be obtained by judicious propagation. For this purpose 

 it would seem that seed of the earliest ripening fruit should be selected 

 from trees grown farthest north. The young trees should be trans- 

 planted when ©ne year old. 



