484 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



printed upon the paper used in wrapping the fruits for shipment, a 

 considerable proportion of consumers have been so disappointed in 

 the quality of the fruit that they have tasted prematurely that the 

 demand for Japanese persimmons in our markets has increased but 

 slowly in recent years. 



The Japanese appear to have overcome the difficulty to a large ex- 

 tent by subjecting the fruits to the fumes of saki in closed vessels for 

 a time after they are picked. This has the effect of removing the 

 astringence in advance of the softening of the fruit, and under the 

 climatic and economic conditions prevailing in that country appears 

 to afford a fairly satisfactory solution of the difficulty. Tests of this 

 method now being made by the Bureaus of Chemistry and Plant 

 Industry may eventually lead to its adoption in this country on a 

 commercial scale. 



Meanwhile there has come to light an interesting and promising 

 variety of the Japanese persimmon, which ripens late, keeps long, 

 and loses its astringence considerably in advance of the softening of 

 the fruit. The variety was found by the late Mr. C. Falkner in his 

 collection at Waco, Tex., several years ago. The tree found was of 

 unknown history, and the exact source from which it was derived is 

 unknown. Mr. Falkner was of the opinion, however, that it reached 

 him among other Japanese fruit trees from Tyler, Tex., which had 

 been forwarded from Japan by the late ex-Governor K. B. Hubbard, 

 while United States minister to Japan [1885-1889]. 



As the varieties of the Japanese type previously known to Mr. 

 Falkner were inedible until soft and the fruit of this tree remained 

 hard and apparently unripe after the others had ripened, Mr. Falk- 

 ner considered it of little value until he observed that birds were 

 eating the fruit while it was still hard. On testing it he was sur- 

 prised to find it palatable and free from astringence. Having con- 

 firmed the observation during several seasons, during which he 

 endeavored to ascertain the identity and Japanese name of the 

 variety, he propagated it in considerable numbers for a commercial 

 orchard and introduced it under the name " Lonestar " in 1908, shortly 

 before his death. It bears some resemblance to the Japanese illus- 

 tration and description of " Shimo-Maru," published more than 

 twenty years ago, but lacks certain of the most striking characteris- 

 tics ascribed to that variety. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Form roundish to roundish oblong; size medium; cavity regular, 

 rather large, flaring, furrowed, and somewhat leather cracked ; calyx 

 medium, four parted, adherent; stem moderately stout, curved; apex 

 four grooved, with a small tip protruding slightly beyond the out- 

 line of the fruit; surface rather dull, undulating, and sparingly 



