THE PERSMMON. 



{Diospyros virginiana.) 



Have you ever, 

 On your travels 



Through the queer, uncertain South, 

 Had a 'simmon — 

 Green Persimmon — 



Make a sortie on your mouth? 



— Frank H. Sweet. 



The Persimmon, or Virginian Date 

 Plum, is a North American tree, grow- 

 ing- wild in nearly all of the Southern 

 United States, and will thrive and ripen 

 its fruits as far north as the state of Con- 

 necticut and the great lakes. It is one of 

 about one hundred and eighty species be- 

 longing to the genus Diospyros. These 

 are all hardy trees or shrubs. Represent- 

 atives of the genus are found in nearly 

 all regions that have a tropical or a tem- 

 perate climate. The name Diospyros is 

 of interest, for it is from a Greek name 

 used by Theophrastus, and is derived 

 • from tw^o words, one meaning Jove's and 

 the other wheat or grain. This name of 

 Theophrastus has reference tO' the edible 

 fruit and literally translated means divine 

 or celestial food. 



Only a few of the species are culti- 

 vated. These are highly ornamental 

 trees with a beautiful foliage, which is 

 rarely attacked by insects. The com- 

 mon Persimmon of America is the only 

 species that is at all hardy in the north. 

 This and the Japanese species (Diospy- 

 ros kaki) are the only trees that produce 

 the edible fruit commonly found in the 

 market. The wood of nearly all the spe- 

 cies of Diospyros is hard and close- 

 grained. The trees that yield the beau- 

 tiful ebon}^ of commerce belong to this 

 genus, and the species that is said to 

 yield the best quality of this wood (Dios- 

 pyros ebenum) is a native of the East 

 Indies and Ceylon. It is also cultivated 

 to some extent in hothouses and in trop- 

 ical climates. 



The common Persimmon of the United 

 States (Diospyros virginiana) is a tree, 

 usually growing to a height of about 

 fifty or sixty feet, and rarely reaching 

 one hundred feet. This is a beautiful 

 round-topped tree witli more or less 



spreading branches. The name Persim- 

 mon is of Indian origin and of unknown 

 meaning. The fruit of this species is 

 but lightly appreciated except by tho.=ie 

 who visit the forest regions in which it 

 is native, for it is only cultivated to a 

 very limited extent. The fruit is globu- 

 lar in form and quite plum-like. It va- 

 ries both in size, color and flavor. When 

 green the fruit is astringent and has a 

 very disagreeable taste. This, however, 

 disappears when the fruit becomes fully 

 matured. 



It is generally thought that the fruit 

 of the Persimmon is not palatable until 

 there has been a frost. Regarding this 

 supposition Dr. L. H. Bailey says : "The 

 old notion of early botanists that this 

 fruit must be subjected to the action of 

 frost before it becomes edible is erro- 

 neous. Many of the very best varieties 

 ripen long- before the appearance of frost, 

 while others never become edible, being 

 so exceedingly astringent that neither sun 

 nor frost has any appreciable effect on 

 them." This fruit, so popular in the lo- 

 calities where it grows, was not unknown 

 to the natives who traversed the wild 

 woods before the time of the early explo- 

 rations and conquests of America. A 

 narrative of De Soto's travels relates that 

 his men, who were camping at a native 

 town *'halfe a league from Rio Grande" 

 (Mississippi River) found the river ''al- 

 most halfe a league broad and of great 

 depth," and that the natives brought to 

 them "loaves made of the substance of 

 prunes, like unto brickes." These loaves 

 were made of dried Persimmons, pos- 

 sibly, mixed with some pulverized grain. 

 At the present time, in some southern lo- 

 calities, the fruit is not infrequently 

 kneaded with bran or ground cereals^ 

 molded and baked. 



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