SOME OTHER TREES 



when first unfolded from the buds, the papaw's 

 flowers advance through browns and yellows, 

 dully mingled, to the deep vinous red of 

 maturity. The dogwood's final banner of white 

 is unfolded through its progress of greens, 

 about the same time or a little later. 



A pleasant and peculiar small tree is this 

 papaw, not nearly so well known or so highly 

 esteemed as it ought to be. 



Another tree with edible fruits — but here 

 there will be a dispute, perhaps! — is the per- 

 simmon. I mean the American persimmon, 

 indissolubly associated in our own Southland 

 with the darky and the 'possum, but also well 

 distributed over Eastern North America as far 

 north as Connecticut. The botanical name of 

 the genus is Diospyros, liberally translated as 

 "fruit of the gods," or "Jove's fruit." If his 

 highness of Olympus was, by any chance, well 

 acquainted with our 'simmon just before frost, 

 he must have had a copper -lined mouth, to 

 choose it as his peculiar fruit ! 



Making a moderate - sized tree of peculiar 

 and pleasing form, its branches twisting regard- 

 less of symmetry, the persimmon in Pennsyl- 



229 



