CHAPTER XII 

 THE KAKI AND ITS RELATIVES 



THE genus Diospyros comprises about 200 species, mostly 

 tropical and subtropical. One of them is the native persimmon 

 (D. rirginiana), which reaches as far north as Connecticut. 

 The oriental kinds are becoming prominent fruits in the lower 

 part of the eastern United States. Diospyros is the largest 

 genus of the Ebony family, which is closely allied to Sapotacese. 

 This genus and others furnish the ebony wood of commerce. 



THE KAKI OR JAPANESE PERSIMMON (Plate XXI) 

 (Diospyros Kaki, L. f.) 



The Japanese, who cultivate more than 800 varieties of the 

 kaki, consider it one of their best fruits. The Chinese also 

 value it highly and devote large areas to its production. Al- 

 though it has been grown on a small scale in southern France 

 for nearly a century, it is not believed to have reached the 

 United States until the time of Commodore Perry's visit to 

 Japan in 1856, and it was only in 1870 (or thereabouts) that 

 grafted trees of superior varieties were first brought to this 

 country. 



Much attention has recently been devoted to the kaki, and 

 it seems probable that it will assume an important position 

 among the orchard-fruits of the cotton-belt and of California. 

 If it does so, credit for its establishment on such a basis will 

 be due largely to the United States Department of Agriculture 

 as having introduced into this country the best Chinese and 

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