398 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



now apparent for large increase in production. This fruit, so highly 

 esteemed in the Orient and so highly praised by travelers, has not be- 

 come as popular as expected on this coast, nor have the great markets 

 at the East required more than a carload or two a year so far. Such 

 limited shipments have, however, sold well in the large Atlantic coast 

 cities, where a considerable number of Orientals have congregated. 

 Americans who wish persimmon at all seem to prefer the smaller but 

 more piquant Virginia species. 



Recently, however, the local demand has increased because of the 

 large numbers of Japanese who are now upon the Pacific Coast and 

 a shipping demand for the fruit from Seattle to the Hawaiian Islands 

 and other Pacific ports, has arisen. Local sale in San Francisco and 

 Los Angeles is profitable in a small way. The removal of astringency 

 while the fruit remains firm has been successfully accomplished by 

 Mr. George C. Roeding of Fresno, following a Japanese method. 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 puckering power. Mr. Roeding 

 says that he used eight large saki tubs, each of which would hold 

 twenty-five gallons, and in those treated one thousand pounds of per- 

 simmons. 



Perhaps the largest single persimmon-producing proposition in Cali- 

 fornia is that of Ira Avery, in Placer County, which is thus described 

 by Mr. R. E. Hodges : 



A mile down grade into the American River canyon, protected on all sides by 

 magnificent hills, Ira Avery's father-in-law planted Japanese persimmon trees 

 in 1876, and three of them are still thrifty and bearing. It was in 1887 that 

 Mr. Avery bought the ranch and planted 50 more. In the years since then, 

 many persimmons have been planted in whatever nooks of the ranch were 

 available until he now has 1500 trees ranging from one to 38 years old. Four 

 hundred were planted last snring, and one of these bore fruit the same season, 

 the first four or five years, however, all fruit should be picked off. It is during 

 this time, too, that all the pruning is done, just to shape the tree. Picking 

 begins the middle of September and lasts till December. The fruit is then 

 unripe, hard as a green tomato, colored, but not the same as they become later. 

 They are wrapped in papers like peaches, and packed in peach boxes, holding 

 about 30 Ibs. ; the largest size being highest priced. The Tane Nashi variety pays 

 best on account of its size and earliness. Seven main varieties are grown and 

 shipped, as follows: Tane Nashi, Hachiyu, Hyakume (the most important), 

 Maru Kaki, Mikado, and Edoishi. 



Some trees yield over 30 boxes, many are not yet in bearing; the crop in 

 1912 was 2200 boxes, in 1913 1500, because the trees bear lighter in alternate 

 years. 



New York is the best market, Pittsburg, Philadelphia and Boston being 

 good, while the demand is light in the Middle West. Many are sold in San 

 Francisco, where the average net in 1913 was $1.08>< per box, while the net on 

 eastern shipments was $1.35. The fruit is too hard to eat even after shipment 

 to New York, where it must be stored some time until well ripened. 



THE PINEAPPLE 



Casual experiments with the pineapple in the open air in this State 

 have been made for a number of years, the fruit being occasionally 

 produced. Most has been accomplished by Mr. J. B. Rapp, of Holly- 



