In the current number of Gardeners' Monthly I note that the Editor after giving a statement from Captain Smith's narrative to show that the original spelling of the word "persimmon" was "Putchamin," inquires as to the signification of the Indian term. I do not have any vocabulary of the tribes of the Powhatan, but in Heckewel-der's "Words, Phrases, etc., of the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware Indians," who, like the Powhatans, were a section of the great Algonkin group, I find a word given which is quite like " putchamin," namely, "Kpaskhamen" - to plug up tight. Likewise, the related word "Kpahammen" is stated as meaning to shut up anything close. Now as this is exactly what happens to one's mouth when it undertakes to deal with an unripe or lack-frosted putchamin, the above is offered as a possibly correct solution by thy friend.

Philadelphia, Fourth mo. 3d, 1885.