Group of Japanese Persimmons 
notably cultivated in Japan, 
where the secret was learned that the fruit loses its astrin- 
gency when packed closely in air-tight receptacles. It appears that 
carbonic acid in the absence of oxygen produces in the fruit pre- 
cisely the chemical changes necessary to transform it from 
an astringent and inedible toa highly palatable fruit. 
The persimmon has been 
