332 



ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN— VI. 



By far the most common practice is to scatter them 

 irregularly about the dwelling with but little regard for 

 distances and surroundings. I have seen some com- 



Fic 



Gosmvo-MARU, 



mercial orchards set out with regularity and care, but 

 such establishments are not numerous. The small farms, 

 most of which are less than two acres in extent, and 

 which are cultivated on a system of mixed husbandry, 

 do not afford room for many trees. Most growers have 

 but from half a dozen to a couple of dozen trees, and 

 these^ scattered about in places where they will be least 

 in the way. Nevertheless the markets are chiefly sup- 

 plied by these small growers, who by their many small 

 contributions make up in the aggregate what they indi- 

 vidually lack in quantity. In most cases the crop of 

 each may be packed in a few baskets, and the proprietor 

 then proceeds to market it by suspending a loaded 

 basket from each end of a pole, which is then slung 

 over the shoulder and thus carried to town. Here 

 the ownership is transferred to a middleman, who 

 sorts and packs the fruit for shipment to the larger 

 cities, and who generally also retails what he can 

 dispose of in the home market. To bear shipment 

 the persimmons must reach their destination before 

 they begin to soften, and this necessitates, in the case 

 of many varieties, that they shall be picked before 

 they are ripe. For shipment to distant places they 

 are packed in tubs which will hold about a bushel 

 and a half each. The tubs used for this purpose are 

 of the same size and shape as those used to hold 

 their sake, a fermented liquor (rice wine), and the 

 kaki are frequently packed in old sake casks, as it 

 is thought they improve the flavor of the fruit. 



It will be observed that the culture of the kaki on 

 this small scale by many growers is not conducive to 

 much systematic improvement of the fruit. No one 

 grower has sufficient interest involved to warrant him in 



expending much time and trouble on the development 

 of varieties, or in experimenting in culture. There are 

 some sixty, or possibly more, distinct varieties scattered 

 over the country, but this list is small when 

 we consider that the kaki has been their chief 

 fruit for ages, and certainly very small when 

 compared with our lists of apples, pears, or 

 any other favorite fruit which admits of 

 'equally ready culture. 



The Japanese commonly graft their persim- 

 mon trees, the stocks being raised from seed. 

 After being grafted, they are grown in nursery 

 rows for a couple of years before they are 

 planted out. The young trees grow off well, 

 but they branch all too readily, and the side 

 branches require removal from the start in 

 order to form the trunk. Beyond this they 

 are not pruned much, and they receive no 

 artificial training. 



Varieties. — The nomenclature of the kaki 

 is not in a very satisfactory state because 

 several varieties go by different names in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country. The following 

 list comprises the leading kinds: 



Zenji-maru, pig. i. A small to medium 

 sized round variety, much grown about Tokio. 

 It takes its name from the villages called Ozenji, and is 

 identical with a variety called Enza-gaki in other places. 

 It is the earliest kaki brought to the Tokio market, where 

 it appears in September. It is then yellow, hard, crisp 

 and not very inviting, but nevertheless sweet, with but 

 little astringency. It improves as the season advances, 

 becoming dark red with purple flesh, which has numer- 

 ous very dark, almost black spots scattered through the 

 whole fruit. It has a flavor which reminds one of car- 

 rots. Seeds numerous. 



Hiyakiinie, Fig. 2. The name means "hundred 

 momme," a weight equal to four-fifths of a pound, and 



Fig. 5. Goshi-Gaki. 



referring to its size. The fruit is very large, slightly 

 oblate. Skin vermilion, with a thick network of black 

 at the apex, when ripe. Flesh rusty-brown with many 



