The Florida agriculturist., 1907-11-13
Japanese Persimmons.

sect enemies, and are uSuaHy prolific
bearers The only reason that they
are not more commonly grown is
owing to the fact that the fruit is
not generally relished The taste for
it must be acquired, and a great many
are slow in acquiring it. Some months
ago we read an account of discovery
that the Japanese had a method Of
rendering the fruit eatable while still
quite hard, sufficiently so to stand
shipping. We have vague recol-
lection Of putting an account of their
process in The Agriculturist, but if
SO, cannot find it. At any rate, the
idea is valuable, if it works out here
as we'll as it does in California, it will
revolutionize the persimmon industry
We think SO we'll of it that we copy
the article, which was found in a Cali
fOrnia exchange, credited to the Fres-
no Republican:
George C. Roeding, of Fresno, has
has just completed a series Of ex-
periments with Japanese persimmons,
which are Of the utmost Importance,
not only to the Orchardists of this
State, but to those of the whole
southern part of the United States,
as far north as the latitude Of WASH
ington, D. C. He has succeeded in
removing from the green persimmon
its we'll known stringent quality, so
that it will be possible from now on,
to so prepare the fruit actually on
the farm that it may be shipped, mar
keted and eaten while still firm and
what is now termed "green." The
marketing Of this fine fruit has al
hoo., 1,o-., co-iO,1c1,, o4oc+oJ bx,
the fact that it is not, in it's natural
state, fit to be eaten until it has be-
come so ripe as to be on the verge
Of decay, and SO not strictly whole
some, and certainly of no use for ex-
tensive shipping This difficulty is
now removed
Mr. Roeding has been working on
this idea for the past two or three
years, but actually produced the fruit
in marketable quantities only few
days ago, and had 1000 pounds Of
it shipped east by the Earl Fruit Com
pany of this city, thus putting it into
the regular channels Of trade. He
has also sent some of it in packages
to WASHINGTON, to be inspected by
the authorities there. The shippi
was done in twenty pound boxes, and
the boxes were sent out in refrigerator
cars.
The process by which the astringent
quality is removed from the fruit is
simple enough, and is borrowed from
widespread practice in Japan. It
IS simply to place the fruit in tubs,
from which saki, or Japanese "rice
beer" has been lately removed. The
tubs are hermetically sealed, and the
fruit left in them from eight to ten
days. When it is then removed, it
is found to have altogether lost the
unpleasant quality which draws ones
mouth into a pucker with the first
bite The fruit may be eaten from
the hand like an apple It seems that
the fumes Of the saki coming from the
wood effects the change For this
purpose saki-tubs of the regular
JaDanese make are used
The process is widely used in Japan,
where the persimmon is very valua
hle product Some interest was taken
in it by the Department of Agricu1-
ture Of the United States, and Mr..
Poeding is conducting, or has lust
brought to 4 successful close, the first
governments of the kind in this coun-
try.
Mr.. Roeding says that the process
is thoroughly practical on the farm.
He used in his last work eight large
sak1-tubs. each Of which would hold
twenty-five gallons, and in these treat
ed 1000 pounds Of persimmons. He
says that this section of the country