THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
65 
lias been for it readily adapts itself to the severe climate 
of New England. 
One of the most interesting genera in this Family is 
Torreya, or as it is sometimes called Tumion, named in 
honor of a Nestor of North American botanists, and it is 
fortunate that its Japanese representative, Torreya nuci- 
fera, one of the handsomest evergreen trees in Japan, is 
hardy in this climate. A group of these plants is grow¬ 
ing among the Laurels at the base of Hemlock Hill. The 
type of this genus, Terreya taxifolia, is a native of west¬ 
ern Florida and one of the rarest of North American trees. 
There is a plant of this species near the top of Hemlock 
Hill where in a very sheltered position it has been grow¬ 
ing for a number of years with several other conifers of 
doubtful hardiness. 
The European Yew, Taxus baccata, is generally not 
hardy in New England, although there are a few varieties 
of this tree growing in the Arboretum. It is fortunate, 
therefore, that the Japanese and Chinese Yew, Taxus cus- 
pidata, is entirely hardy here. The foliage of this tree is 
rather lighter in color than that of the European Yew; it 
grows more rapidly, and there appears no reason why it 
should not reach a large size and attain a great age in 
this country. There is a semiprostrate form with 
darker-colored leaves and long and semierect branches 
which spread into large masses. This is the variety 
brevifolia of American gardens. Of all the contributions, 
and they are many and important, which Japan has made 
to the gardens of New England these Yews are probably 
the most valuable. 
THE AMERICAN PAPAW AND ITS FOOD VALUE 
C. F. Langworthy, Chief, Office of Home Economics, 
United States Department of Agriculture, and 
A. D. Holmes, Scientific Assista/nt. 
The name papaw (sometimes written pawpaw) is ap¬ 
plied to two distinctly different fruits, both grown in the 
United States—one the native American papaw {Asimina- 
triloba) and the other the fruit of the tropical American 
tree papaya {Carica papaya). 
The papaw {A. triloba) varies in size from a bush to a 
medium-sized tree and usually bears fruit abundantly. 
From early times in this country the fruit has been gath¬ 
ered and used as food, the European settlers apparently 
learning its use from the Indians. Wherever it grows 
its use as food is well known, especially in rural regions, 
and is a favorite with many. It is little known, how¬ 
ever, outside of the regions in which it is found wild, 
very likely because the flesh is very soft and easily 
bruised, especially when fully ripe. The fruit, which 
matures about the middle of September, remains in good 
condition only a short time after it is picked and does not 
stand either transportation or storage well. This dif¬ 
ficulty is increased by the fact that many do not consider 
it edibile until it is dead ripe; some even prefer it after it 
has begun to turn blackish in color and others maintain 
that a frost is required to bring the papaw to perfection. 
As a result of these preferences it is ordinarily eaten from 
the tree and is not found in quantity in the markets, even 
in the regions in which it grows. 
Writers appear to differ as to whether the skin of the 
papaw should be eaten in conjunction with the pulp or 
not, some maintaining that the skin possesses constituents 
which cause urticaria, while others jironounce it both pal¬ 
atable and wholesome. According to Corbett, it is more 
usual to eat the skin with the pulp than to discard it. 
Nature of fruit. The papaw has much in common 
with the custard apple, being a member of the same fam¬ 
ily. In appearance the mature fruit is practically cy¬ 
lindrical, with both ends rounded, tlie length being two 
or three times its diameter. The stem is attached, not at 
the end on the line of the long axis of the fruit, but a 
little to one side of tlie end, so the fruit hangs almost 
horizontal rather than perpendicular. The size of the 
fruit varies considerably with the localities in which it 
grows, the largest and best-developed specimens coming 
from the damp lowlands of the Mississippi Valley. A 
good-sized papaw will weigh three-fourths of a pound 
or sometimes a pound, though most of them are smaller, 
particularly when they grow clustered on the branches. 
The fruit contains a double row of shiny black seeds^ 
which are arranged at right angles to its axis and occupy 
a very considerable portion of the interior of the fruit. 
Surrounding the seeds is a creamy pulp having a smooth 
texture and a rather pungent aroma, which, as the fruit 
ripens, is replaced by an ethereal flavor, for which the 
papaw is especially esteemed by its admirers. In ap¬ 
pearance the papaw resembles the banana more than any 
other common fruit, though the pulp has a different tex¬ 
ture and the fruit is smaller than the varieties of bananas 
.commonly ’seen in this country. The papaw is very 
generally eaten in the localities in which it grows, but 
out of hand rather than as a recognized part of the diet, 
differing in this respect from such wild fruits as berries' 
Although some may not care for its peculiar flavor, its 
wholesomeness has been proved by long experience, chil¬ 
dren being especially fond of it and often eating it in 
quantity without harmful results. 
Historical data. Little states that “the settlers in 
southern Kansas partly subsisted on pecan nuts and pa- 
paws” when their crops had failed, and in regard to the 
use of papaws he says: “It makes a splendid custard 
pie. There is no finer desert than papaw eaten with 
Cl earn and sugar. It is used to make beer the same as 
the persimmon by putting the fruit in a jar, mashing it, 
and putting water on and letting it stand until fermented' 
It also answers to make pudding just the same as per¬ 
simmon pudding is made. It is also said that brandy 
equal to peach brandy is made of papaws. Marmalade 
which is equal to that made of pears or peaches may be 
made of papaws. The custard [pulp] may be spread on 
a board and dried like pumpkin leather. Papaws may 
be kept in their natural state till midwinter or longer by 
laying them down in oats.” 
The papaw is well worth a little more attention from 
the nurseryman, not only because of its food values l)ut 
as an ornamental tree. 
It is hardy as far north as Massachusetts along the 
seaboard but unfortunately is not easy to transplant suc¬ 
cessfully. It is about on a par with Magnolia conspicua 
in this respect. 
It is propagated by seed sown in the fall or stratified 
and sown in the spring. 
There is little doubt that a nurseryman raising good 
stock would readily dspose of them if properly advertised. 
