Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 14:29     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:Ok, I want some of whatever they were gathering.

- eater of public park fruit


Be careful, just saw another link on dcum yesterday where a public park berry picker was heavily fined!
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 13:57     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
I have an enormous ginkgo in front of my house. I can't believe it, but people--mostly E Asians--collect those stinky fruits and cook with them. And I can attest that they are falling now.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 12:31     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:Ok, I want some of whatever they were gathering.

- eater of public park fruit


Unless it's ginkgo fruit.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/urban-jungle/pages/101012.html
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 12:18     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Ok, I want some of whatever they were gathering.

- eater of public park fruit
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 12:02     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Chestnuts?


There are no more chestnuts -- they were wiped out by some kind of blight.


The American chestnut was wiped out. But the area is full of Chinese chestnuts, which you can also gather for eating, if the squirrels don't beat you to it.

NP here. I happened to read this article in Serious Eats that says today is date of China's mid-autumn festival or zhong qiu jie http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/09/mid-autumn-festival-feast.html Apparently mooncakes are a big part of the festival, and I know from Chinese friends that mooncakes sometimes are made with chestnut paste. My vote is that the ladies you saw were collecting chestnuts from Chinese chestnut trees to get ready for the festival. But it would be great if you could ask and solve the mystery once and for all!
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 11:55     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Chestnuts?


There are no more chestnuts -- they were wiped out by some kind of blight.


The American chestnut was wiped out. But the area is full of Chinese chestnuts, which you can also gather for eating, if the squirrels don't beat you to it.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 11:22     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:I saw some Asian women stooping down to collect things along Falls Road this morning and wondered what they were doing. This is a true mystery to me...


... ohhh, OP is asking because they are Asians.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 11:17     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
I saw some Asian women stooping down to collect things along Falls Road this morning and wondered what they were doing. This is a true mystery to me...
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 11:15     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Come back and update us. I'm so curious!
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 11:14     Subject: Re:What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
OP here. It's not golf balls. Too far from the course and would be visible in the grass. This is absolutely seasonal. I will look up gingko.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 09:29     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Ginko? My cousin did this up in CT. Embarrassed their teen daughters since it was in the middle of a busy road. People were curious and would stop and ask.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 09:22     Subject: Re:What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they collecting golf balls from the golf course?


but why would this only be in the fall?


I'm not saying it would. The OP didn't say she only saw this during the fall. But golf balls are on the ground and you can collect them in a shopping cart.


I'm pretty sure this was what she was implying by asking what's in season and she saw it last year, but maybe you're right.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 07:56     Subject: Re:What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are they collecting golf balls from the golf course?


but why would this only be in the fall?


I'm not saying it would. The OP didn't say she only saw this during the fall. But golf balls are on the ground and you can collect them in a shopping cart.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 06:32     Subject: What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Chestnuts?


There are no more chestnuts -- they were wiped out by some kind of blight.


The internet supports the chestnut poster. From a Georgetown Univ. website:

"There are large isolated trees that still survive and fruit in the U.S. I visited a large, spreading tree near Pellston, MI (in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula) in 1978, which might still be alive. Other large American Chestnuts live in northern Michigan at the periphery of the American Chestnut's original range. A 30-foot American Chestnut grows at the Mohican Swimming Pool, Bethesda, MD. It might have survived as a seedling during the great chestnut die off. About 10 50-foot chestnut trees grow on Persimmon Tree Road, near Holly-leaf Road, Bethesda, MD. These large surviving trees might be American Chestnuts that are resistant to the Chestnut Blight, have escaped it, or both."


OP here. Very impressed with your research skills.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2015 00:54     Subject: Re:What are people gathering on Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda?
Anonymous wrote:Shake them 'simmons down.