16 



PROCESSING OF JAPANESE PERSIMMONS. 



in the preceding experiment with Tane-nashi. Four days were required 

 in processing. All fruits but one remained firm, while of the controls at 

 room temperature 16 per cent had softened. Three lots of 100 speci- 

 mens each of the processed fruits were kept at the three temperatures 

 and counts of all lots were made at intervals, all fruits being kept 

 wrapped. The rate of softening of the various lots of persimmons 

 is shown in Table VI and graphically in figure 3. 



TABLE VI. Rate of softening after processing of Zengi persimmons kept at three different 



temperatures. 



In many respects the curves resemble those obtained with Tane- 

 nashi. The processing period, however, is very much shorter. The 

 rate of softening of this variety was even better controlled by cooling 

 to refrigerator temperature than in the case of Tane-nashi. The 

 processed persimmons softened slightly more rapidly than the con- 

 trols at room and refrigerator temperatures, respectively, but the 

 differences are too small to be of practical importance. The processed 

 fruit in cold storage softened somewhat less rapidly than the controls. 

 No abnormalities among the firm or softened Zengi persimmons 

 occurred on keeping either at room, refrigerator, or cold storage 

 temperatures. 



Lots of from 6 to 12 specimens of the processed Zengi fruit were 

 mailed on October 27 to 12 retail fruit dealers in various cities and to 

 5 growers of persimmons in the South. Of the fruit dealers, 8 ex- 

 pressed the opinion that a demand would have to be created for proc- 

 essed fruit before it could be expected to sell. Only 3 commented on 

 the excellent quality of the persimmons, while 2 expressed a preference 

 for the normally softened fruit. On the whole, the comments of the 

 fruit dealers were less favorable than was expected. This probably 

 indicates that less difficulty is now being had in selling the astringent 

 Japanese persimmons in their natural state than was the case a few 



