THE JAPAN PERSIMMON.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 325, 15 December 1888, Page 6

THE JAPAN PERSIMMON.

We have at different limes published information concerning this fruib. ■ Mr P. J. Beikmane, a well known hoiliculfcurisfc in the States, thus writes on 'the subject; — "The merits of the Persimmon are the early bearing age of the trees as well as wonderful fertility, as it ia quite common to set ono-year old trees planted in spring pioduce a crop of fiom twenty to fifty welldeveloped persimmons the following year. The toncloncy to overbearing should be checked by removing tho largest proportion of ite fruit when fully set, in April or May (Oct. and Nov. in N. Z. ), and leaving only a number commensurate with the age and bize of the tree. The fruit of most varieties if- of a bright orange red or light vermilion colour, in shape and general appearance resembling a larj>ebmooth tomato, and beein^ to colom when half grown, butshould buallowed to hang on the tree until ju&t before a frost is expected or, in the case of the early ripening varieties, when fully soft. It g-itliered befoie a frost there is a slight a&trin^encv next to the skin in mo-t uin'elies, but this disappears after being kept in the hou.se u few days or weeks. If allowed to bo slightly touched by fiost the flavour is mncn impioved, but the fruit will then not, keep many Jays. It is thetefoie desirable to gather the fruit before fiodt, if intended for keeping, and then bomo vaiietiei? will remain sound until the lattei end of winter. The llesh i^ soft, iich, and sweet, and hub a slight apricot llavour. "Then 1 aiL many varieties of thepeisimmon Kiised in Japan ; some aio eaten in a fre"-h state, others are used for drying. •Samples of dried peiv-immonfc> have been sent Horn Japan, and they aio equal to the beat Sm\ ma hgs, but with a peculiai and plea-tint atoma. We ha\e endeavomed to ain\e at a corrcci, nomenclature, but alter sc\en jeai^> in truiting the peisimmon wo aic as much pu/zlcd now ab at the statt. Larcce quantiiie.s of the tieo.s arc annually imported from Japan ; tho\niietics seldom euvod twelve in the ••filieotion" usually t^ent to thiv country, jet won the trees bear fruit, the same name is often found to apply to boveial distinct \aiicties, or one variety has sc\ eial names. "