The American Garden 
M. ffloiuhly of :gractical (gardening. • 
- - - M. IlliXAMKU, lulitor. 
Vol. VI. 
old Series, Vol. XHI. 
marci- 
1885. 
No. 3 
JAPANESE PERSIMMONS. 
To judso from tho satisfaotoiy losiiUs 
ali-caily obtunod from these fruits in our 
Southern States and as far north as New 
.fersey even, tho time cannot he far distant 
wlien tliey will become an important product 
of a largo portion of our country. In .)ai)an 
the Persimmon, or Kaki, is tlio most valua¬ 
ble native fruit, .and has been abundanUy 
grown from tho earliest period, in all parts 
' I'o- ho lormer are eatable in tlio raw 
state when npo and tiro esteemed as among 
the most delicious fruits; tho latter arc 
made into delicate sweet mc.afs, and dried 
111 various ways. 
AiuaboslU is made by picking tlie imma- j 
turo, astringent fruit, .and after peeling 
with a knife, drying on strings. ' 
l(nro(jaki is made by filling a wooden case ' 
witli well dried fruit made in the above i 
The soil most adapted to the growth of 
tlio Kaki is a gravelly, clay-loam, in a situa¬ 
tion neither too dry nor too wet, and a free 
open space is necessary. Once a year, in 
tlie middle of winter, the plants require 
manuring, night soil being preferred, which 
is applied in a furrow dug around each tree. 
They must be pruned every alternate year 
in early spring or after harvest in autumn. 
Pruning consists simply in breaking the 
of the country except the most southern 
‘>nd most northern i^rovinces. 
Through the courtesy of Henry A. Drecr 
of Philadelphia, we are enabled to lay 
bofore our readers the accompanying illus- 
bation of forty-two varieties of Japanese 
Poi’simmons—reduced to one-sixth of the 
natural size—published and sent here. by 
foe Agricultural Bureau of Jap.an. The 
oxecution of the original plate is rem.arka- 
y accurate and artistic, and highly credit- 
® ® to the Japanese artists. From the 
“Ofcriptive notes andicultural directions re- 
o®|yed.a,t the same time, we quote: 
^ • All these fruits are remarkable for being 
®*Y hai’sh and astringent before maturity, 
of them become luscious and 
S ly nutritious when ripe, more especially 
to ? to frost; others are diifloult 
nev ^^'O'n tlm original harshness, and 
a. f>®come luscious, even when quit® 
manner, and covering tightly with a lid 
which produces tho appearance o) a white 
.saccharine substance on tho skin of the fruit. 
TarimiB As made by 
ripened astringent fruit s in a new Sake cask, 
and then covering tightly with a hd. 
SawasUrjaki is m.ade by packing the fimts 
■ o tub Douring on them hot watei boiled 
“ill, . W iuilie*. ”■> 
Is •Iso 
;:,rrr.vX.i~sso,i.swo«.w,,.sx 
I„ ,.p»n „Mlo. of 
S:”S''vS..le. '.Hioh .ho. 
ted by grafting^- 
branches with the hand, because this tree 
I should not be touched with iron. The Kaki 
1 is prop.agated'by grafting only, as seedlings 
I are very slow in bearing, and are inferior- 
! Following are the varieties illustrated: 
1, Tsiu-u-no-ko; 2, Tankiu-dzuru; 3, Tama- 
dzuru; 4, Ko-tsuru; 5, Shimo-maru; 6, 
Kumosu-maru; 7, Tane-naslii; 8, Tengu; 
9, Shibu-tsuno-magari; 10, Tsuno-magari; 
11, Masugata; 12, Hachiya; 13, Shimo- 
shiradzu; 14, Okame; 15, Temon; 16, Nitari; 
17, Hiyakume; 18, Daidai-maru; 19, Goshio- 
gaki; 20, Goshio-hira; 21, Goshio-maruf 22, 
Nitari; 23, Tedoichi; 24, Zenji-maiai; 25, 
Denji-mam; 20, Denjiu-maru; 27, Kabuto- 
gaki; 28, Kou-shiu-maru; 29, Toyama; 30, 
Giboshiu; 31, Miyotan; 32, Higaki Musashi; 
33, Higaki Koutsuke; 34, Abura-Tsubo; 35, 
Hokogaki; 36, Koshibu; 37, Aoso; 38, Gion- 
bou; 39, Saijio-gaki; 40, Kintoki-niaru; 41, 
Hetaguro; 42, Shinano-gaki. 
