Green persimmon wars

Persimmon trees are abundant in west-central Arkansas. In fact, they are so prolific that they are a real nuisance to cattlemen at times. They provide delicious fodder for deer and good eating for anyone who wants to go to the trouble to spit out the seeds. (And, as documented elsewhere on this blog, the makings for persimmon beer LINK.)

However, one of the real benefits of having persimmon trees is that they provide the weapons and ammunition for green persimmon wars. Green persimmons are hard and will pucker you up if you eat them, but they are almost lethal if you know to use them. Cut a slender persimmon stick about two feet long and narrow enough that you can whip it back and forth. Sharpen the end of it, and stick a green persimmon on the point. Because of the flexibility of the limb, with practice you can hurl a persimmon with amazing velocity. I can tell you that they really hurt when they hit you! Using persimmons as a weapon is more an art than a science. You have to choose just the right stick with just the right amount of flex. You have to sharpen the point just right: too dull and the persimmon will not come off easily, too sharp and it comes off too quickly and you cannot aim it.Then you have to push the persimmon onto the stick just far enough, but not too far. (Keep in mind that you have to find the right persimmon and load your weapon while under fire.)

We spent literally hours engaged in this warfare. Would OSHA and the Consumer Safety agency have approved? Probably not, but it was great fun.