744 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



which was between the second and fourth foot in depth of soil and spreading 

 iu all directions as far out as 15 ft. from the trunlv. 



Of the varieties tested Texas King has given tlie best results. Crothers is a 

 fine late variety and a little surer than Elberta, Which is apt to be injured 

 by frost during the blooming period. The blooming and ripening seasons vary 

 from year to year, depending on weather conditions. In 1909 late varieties 

 bloomed about a week earlier and the fruit riijeued a week later than in 1910. 

 The blooming of earlier varieties in 1909 was retarded by a snowstorm. The 

 ripening and shipping season of any one variety may vary from 10 to 15 days. 

 Varieties which were not killed by frost yielded from 1 to 3 boxes in 1909 per 

 tree and from 3 to over 5 boxes per tree in 1910. The actual net receipts after 

 deducting all orchard operations from 4.82 acres of orchard iu 1909 were $202.38 

 and $379.76 iu 1910. 



Experiments on the processing of persimmons to render them nonastrin- 

 gent, H. C. GoKE (C7. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chcm. Bui. 1J,1, pp. 31, pis. 3, figfi. 5). — 

 As noted iu the introduction to the bulletin, by D. Fairchild, the experiments 

 here reported are the outcome of the successful results secured by G. C. lioeding 

 iu 1905 and 10O6 in the use of the Japanese method of processing persimmons 

 in empty sake, or Japanese wine, casks (E. S. R., 17, p. 618). In view of these 

 successful results experiments w^ere conducted by the Bureau of Chemistry in 

 cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry during the following 4 seasons. 



The Investigations from 1907 to 1909, the results of which are here sum- 

 marized, consisted principally in attempts to improve the Japanese method. 

 The use of the Japanese method was, however, but partly successful, even with 

 the fruits which processed easily, because they often cracked as a result of the 

 high humidity incident to the process and often softened unduly while in the 

 casks or other contaiiiers employed. 



During the season of 1910, an attempt was made to keep the fruit firm while 

 being processed with vapors of alcohol by the use of some inert gas, such as 

 carbon dioxid, the most readily available of these gases. These experiments, 

 which are reported in detail, showed that if persimmons are kept in carbon 

 dioxid for from 3 to 5 days during processing they become nonastringent and 

 at the Siime time tend to remain firm, the lack of oxygen apparently retarding 

 the life processes which result in softening. When carbon dioxid was used in 

 the presence of alcohol vaixirs the rate of processing was at times more rapid 

 than in carbon dioxid alone, but the fruits were less crisp and in 2 instances 

 showed superficial injury. The absorption of moisture in the containers by 

 well dried Uimp starch suggests the use of starch or some other absorbent as 

 a means for preventing loss by cracking. 



A number of varieties have processed successfully in carbon dioxid in from 

 3 to 5 days, but 2 lots of Japanese and the native persimmons {Diospyros 

 virghiiana) failed to do so. The rate of softening of persimmons was on the 

 whole slightly but distinctly accelerated by processing. Overprocessing iu 

 carbon dioxid resulted in a large proportion of the persimmons becoming dark 

 In color on softening subsequently. Processing persimmons iu carbon dioxid 

 after a cold storage interval of 27 days resulted in a rapid softening of the 

 fruit after processing. Unsuccessful attempts were made to process the fruits 

 by autoasphyxiation and by keeping them under water or other liquids. Chemi- 

 cal analyses of a number of varieties of persimmons have thus far shown no 

 relation between the tannin content and ease of processing. 



Although the present investigation is regardetl only as preliminary, it is 

 believed that the tentative results secured from the substitution of carbonic 

 acid gas for the fumes of sake and the use of dry starch to prevent the crack- 

 ing of the fruit during the processing should lead to the perfection and use of 



