652 



PROMISING WILD FRUITS. 



Beach Plum (Primus maritinia). This well-known 

 plum of the Atlantic sea-shore is well deserving of at- 

 tention for the purpose of obtaining improved varieties 

 for cultivation in the peculiar localities to which it is 

 adapted. Especially is this true since it appears to be 

 remarkably free from the attacks of the curculio. The 

 plant is a compact bush, usually three to four feet high, 

 though sometimes almost prostrate in exposed situations. 

 The fruit is nearly globular, often an inch in diameter, 

 though in one variety no larger than a small cherry. 

 The color varies on different trees from crimson to pur- 

 ple, and the flavor, though sometimes austere, is often 

 agreeable when fully ripe, especially if grown in exposed 

 situations. The fruit is quite largely used in the locali- 

 ties where it grows, and often finds its way into the 

 markets of New York and other Eastern cities. 



Cactus. — In the southwestern portion of the United 

 States, from central Texas to the Pacific ocean, the cul- 

 tivated fruits of temperate, and of semi-tropical cli- 

 mates, can be grown only by means of irrigation, or in 

 mountainous sections, or other limited localities favor- 

 ably situated with regard to moisture. This whole 

 region, comprising about one-half the arid lands of this 

 country, is the home of the cactus in many species. 

 These peculiar plants, especially adapted by nature to 

 desert regions, bear, many of them, fruits of excellent 

 quality, some of which are destined to furnish an im- 

 portant article of food to the inhabitants of the territory 

 in which they are found. The fruits of several species 

 of opuntia have long been largely consumed by the 

 people of Mexico, and are now occasionally sold in the 

 markets of New Orleans and other cities of the United 

 States. One of them, Opuntia vulgaris, has been taken 

 from America to the countries bordering the Mediter- 

 ranean, where it is extensively cultivated and known as 

 the Barberry fig. On the island of Sicily, there are said 

 to be 10,000 acres under cultivation to this cactus for its 

 fruit, which is largely consumed by the poorer people of 

 that island and of Italy, forming a considerable portion 

 of their food. 



Of the 140 species of cactus native in the United 

 States, more than two-thirds have edible fruits, some of 

 them of superior quality. The flavor of different 

 species has been compared to that of the gooseberry, the 

 strawberry and the fig. Among the species worthy of 

 mention for their fruit, are Opuntia Ficus-Indicus, which 

 though not native is naturalized around old missions in 

 California and New Mexico, Opuntia dulcis, and the fol- 

 lowing species of cereus : giganteus, Engehnanni, 

 Tliiirberi, Fendlt:ri, triangularis , grandijlorus, stramine- 

 ous, polyacanlhus and enneacanthus. Of these, Cereus 

 giganteus is perhaps the most noteworthy, though pos- 

 sibly not so promising for cultivation as some of the 

 opuntias. It is the largest species of the cactus known, 

 growing in favorable locations fully fifty feet in height, 

 but usually appearing from ten to twenty feet in height. 

 Its fruit, which is pear-shaped, and two to three inches 

 long, is somewhat like the fig in flavor, and was largely 

 used by the Indians, both fresh and dried. There are 



many more or less distinct varieties of this cactus, dif- 

 fering in the form, color and flavor of their fruit. 



Further notes on edible cactuses may be found in the 

 cactus number of The American Garden (Aug., i8go) 



Persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana'). Those who know 

 the persimmon only as it is seen in abandoned fields 

 and along roadsides at the south, can form but little idea 

 of the capabilities of this tree for improvement. The 

 development of the culture of the Japanese persimmon 

 within recent years in the United States has especially 

 called the attention of our fruit growers to this, our 

 leading native species. There is no apparent reason 

 why, by artificial propagation and attention, there may 

 not be as good varieties developed from our native per- 

 simmon as have been obtained by the Chinese, Japanese 

 and South Sea Islanders from Diospyros Kaki and other 

 species of the east. That superior native varieties of 

 our persimmon exist is probably not generally known, 

 and doubtless since the settlement of the country 

 many such have disappeared. In Flint's History and 

 Geography of the Mississippi Valley, published in 1832, 

 persimmons are mentioned "of the size of a common 

 horse plum, " and the writer adds, ' ' when the small blue 

 persimmon is thoroughly ripened it is even sweeter than 

 the fig, and is a delicious fruit. If the best kinds were 

 cultivated and purchased from beyond the seas, it would 

 probably be much more known and used than it now is." 



J. S. Mathews, of Monticello, Arkansas, reporting to 

 the American Pomological Society, says: "We have 

 varieties here ripening from the first of August until 

 Christmas. They are immensely productive, never fail 

 of a crop, and, excepting possibly the fig or banana, are 

 the most nutritious of all fruits." 



The only noteworthy attempt at the improvement of 

 our persimmon, which has come to our notice, is one 

 which was conducted in France fifty years ago, and 

 reported by Mr. A. J. Downing in ^he. Horticulturist, for 

 1846, as follows : 



' ' We observe, in the Bon Jardinier, that two intelli- 

 gent French horticulturists, Messrs. Reginier and Audi- 

 bert, have been raising seedlings of our native persim- 

 mon, Diospyros Virginiana, in the hope of producing 

 finally an excellent edible fruit. Their efforts have 

 already been attended with the most promising results. 

 M. Audibert has produced a seedling with large round 

 fruit, double the size of the original species, the flavor 

 of which recalls that of a Mirabelle plum. M. Reginier's 

 best seedling he has named Plaqueminier Pierquin, Pier- 

 quin's persimmon, in honor of one of his friends. The 

 fruit is as large as a hen's egg, oval, acuminate, of a 

 golden yellow color, and an agreeable flavor. These 

 gentlemen intend continuing their experiments with suc- 

 cessive generations of persimmons raised from their 

 new varieties, and there is every reason to believe that 

 they will be rewarded at last by a variety which will 

 prove an admirable addition to the dessert." 



For some reason, probably owing to the introduction 

 into France of improved varieties of persimmons from 

 Japan about that time, these American persimmons 



