101 

 Descriptio n 



The tree is grovm "both for its ornament and for its edi- 

 ble fruit. The natural habit of the pomegranate is of rather 

 "bushy growth, but by careful training a tree 15-20 ft. TORir "be 

 produced. A great many shoots spring from the base of the 

 plant ; these shoixld be cut out as it is contended that they 

 withdraw the nutriment which should go to the fruit bearing 

 stems. The branches are slender, twiggy, nearly cylindrical, 

 somewhat thorny ; leaves lanceolate, long, narrow, glossy 

 green and with red veins ; flowers with a red colored, thick, 

 fleshy calyx, crowned with bright scarlet, crumpled petals, 

 and numerous stamens. The fruit is globixlar, topped with a 

 crownlike calyx, has on the outside a hard wood^/- rind, very 

 astringent, and covering numerous seeds enveloped in a bright, 

 crimson colored pulp, seeds being arranged in segments, sepa- 

 rated by a thin skin, and ^rery acid in the typical variety, 

 k cooling, acescent drink is made from the pulpy seeds, with 

 the addition of water aad sugar. This is much used in the 

 southern part of the United States, and is especially grateful 

 in fevers. 



The pomegranate may be consid-ered as one of the most 

 valuable fruits, brth as to i+s beauty and medicinal properties. 

 The bark of the root is a well-known astringent employed in 

 therapeutics, in dysentery and diarrhoea ; the rind of the 

 fruit when boiled has for many generations past been the remedy 

 for tenia, and a jet-black, smooth writing ink is also made of 

 it. The pulp of the fruit is invaluable for invalids. 



