Stránka:book 1922.djvu/484

454 The Book of Woodcraft . EBENACE^ — EBONY FAMILY Persimmon or Date Plum. {Diospyros virginiana) A small tree 30 to 50 feet high, famous for the fruit so astringent and puckery when unripe, so luscious when frosted and properly mature. Leaves 4 to 6 inches long. "In respect to the power of making heartwood, the Locust and the Persimmon stand at the extreme opposite ends of the list. The Locust changes its sapwood into heartwood almost at once, while the Persim- mon rarely develops any heartwood until it is nearly one hundred years old. This heartwood is extremely close-grained and almost black.