また一つ「期待の星」が増えました。

　庭には、亡父が６０年前に植えた柿がありましたが、多少渋みがあったので、私や若かった娘たちはあまり食べませんでした。そのため殆どが野鳥の餌でした。

　ところが、３年前に幹の根元から１mほどの所に、新芽が出たので、これはチャンスと考え、新芽を残し、そのすぐ上から幹を思い切って切断しました。その後、新芽はどんどん成長し、ついに昨年秋には２０個ほど実が生り、食したところ、渋みがなく、誠に美味しくなりました。やはり剪定は大切と実感です。

　この時、改めて柿の効能を調べたところ、風邪予防、疲労回復、老化予防、美肌効果、血圧を下げるタンニン、腸を整える食物繊維も豊富とあり、一人で健康長寿をめざし暮らしてる私に、柿は理想的な果物と考えました。

　このためこれを機会に、新たに「富有」と「太秋」という品種の柿の若木２本を手に入れ、植えました。写真は「太秋」で、現在、新芽が吹き出し、ご覧の通り、樹勢が良いです。もう一方の「富有柿」も別の場所で順調に育ってます。

　昔から種を撒いて「桃栗３年、柿８年」と言われることから、意外と早く結実するかもしれません。果たしてどんな味の柿になるでしょう。それにしても、庭に柿の木が３本となり、食べ切れるでしょうか。美味しく健康に良い柿が豊作となったら、どうぞ味見においでください。これで私も名実共に本当の「柿沼」になれるでしょう。

Dear my friends abroad

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be after my breakfast in Japan time.

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　There were persimmons in the garden that my late father had planted 60 years ago, but they were a bit astringent, so my young daughters and I didn't eat them much. Therefore, most of it was food for wild birds.

　However, three years ago, new sprouts appeared about 1 meter from the ground of this persimmon, so I thought this was an opportunity and decided to cut off the trunk just above it, leaving the new sprout. After that, the new shoots continued to grow, and finally, last fall, about 20 fruits were born, and when I ate them, they were not astringent and were truly delicious. I really feel that pruning is important.

　At this time, I looked into the effects of persimmons nutrients again, and found that they are rich in cold prevention, fatigue recovery, anti-aging, skin beautifying effects, tannin that lowers hypertension, and dietary fiber that regulates the large intestine. I thought persimmons were an ideal fruit.

　Therefore, I acquired this opportunity and plant new persimmon saplings of different two varieties "Fuyu" and "Taishu." The photo shows "Taishu" which is, as you see, currently sprouting new buds in good health. The other "Fuyu" is also growing well in another location in my garden.

　Since ancient times, it is said that when seeds are sown it takes 3 years for peach and chestnut, and 8 years for persimmon, so they may bear fruit sooner than expectation. What kind of flavor will the persimmons have? Anyway, there are now three persimmon trees in the garden, and I wonder if I am able to eat all of them. When these persimmon trees have a good harvest of delicious and healthy persimmons, please come and taste them. With this, I too can become a true "Kakinuma" both in name and reality. In Japan Kaki means persimmon.

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