
          629.

* I really do not think frost ripens persimmons.

H's.  It was now snowing fast and had been for about half an hour.
It was therefore, hard to see far in the distance, so we wandered about
quite a while before we got our bearings, and finally were obliged
to confess that we had not been able to find our tree.  It was now after
12 o'clock and we were hungry so we descended the hillside again and
found a nice camp up one of the narrow ravines.  Here we build a fire
cooked coffee and ate our dinner.  It was 2 o'clock when we were through
dinner and we again started up the hillside, in search of our tree.

This time we found it without trouble.  One of the persimmons was
pulled from the tree and tasted but strange to say, for we have had so much frost,* 
there was a slightly astringent taste.  The tree was filled with fruit,
as it has been for now <s>the 3rd</s> yrs. in succession.  We concluded
to take but a part of the fruit, only that which fell readily from the
tree, and which for the most part was fairly free from all astringency,
and to leave the rest on the tree for future experiment.  The questions
may be raised --"Does frost ripen the persimmons?"  If it does, this
fruit ought to be fully ripe, for we have had more frost this year than last,
and last year they were all ripe and no traces of astringency.  I think frost 
prevents them from getting fully ripe, what the fruit needs is plenty
of warm sunlight.  Last year with plenty of warm weather, the fruit was
        