6 EXPERIMENTS ON PROCESSING PERSIMMONS. 



by Mr. George C. Roeding, of Fresno, Cal., in 1906. This suggestion 

 came naturally as the result of observations made in Japan in 1902 

 when the writer was surprised to find that many of the persimmons 

 which are served there are so hard that they are pared and eaten 

 quite as apples are in America. As this observation was made just 

 before sailing for America, the writer did not have an opportunity to 

 fully investigate the method employed by the Japanese, and when 

 two years later in conversation with Mr. Roeding, the question of how 

 to utilize the persimmon crop came up, the writer was able only to 

 suggest that the experiment be made. 



In the autumn of 1905 Mr. C. L. Watrous, of Iowa, made a trip 

 to Japan and very kindly offered to investigate any horticultural 

 matters which the department wished to have investigated. Among 

 other matters he was requested to secure as complete details as possi- 

 ble regarding the methods of processing persimmons in use among the 

 Japanese. 



In May, 1905, Mr. Watrous made a report to the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture covering the details of the process, from which the following 

 quotation is taken : 



Dr. Fairchild asked me to make investigations as to the methods used by the 

 Japanese for removing or changing the superabundance of tannin in the per- 

 simmon at its maturity, without waiting for the fruit to come near to decay as is 

 the natural way. Upon my arrival at Yokohama, whither I went for this pur- 

 pose, Mr. Suzuki kindly took me to various places where experts make a business 

 of that work, packing hundreds and thousands of casks annually, as he stated. 

 I will give the substance of the talks of various informants rather than make a detailed 

 statement of what was said by each one. It appears that they have experimented 

 extensively for many years in this work and have thus far been thoroughly successful 

 in only one way; that is, to take casks in which their beer, called sake, has been stored 

 and have the fruit put in the casks as soon as they have been emptied. The head 

 of the cask must be immediately returned to its place and the package made air-tight. 

 So treated, if the sake be of very pure quality and not adulterated with alcohol, the 

 fruit, in 5 or 8 or 15 days, according as the weather may be quite warm or less so, may 

 be removed from the package in a firm, sound condition, ready to be shipped long 

 distances, but with the astringency all gone and the flavor fine. They have tried many 

 other ways to cure the kaki but nothing has succeeded except the sake casks, used as 

 above described. They say they find that if the sake is adulterated with alcohol 

 or if the fumes of alcohol be used the astringency is soon removed from the fruit, which 

 when first opened looks and tastes as it should, but within a few days turns black, 

 loses its high quality, and is utterly ruined, tasting like an old turnip. The only casks 

 used by the Japanese for this purpose are made of the wood of the Cryptomeria, 

 closely resembling our cypress. The wood is quite soft and tasteless, as I found upon 

 personal test. If, upon first opening the cask, the fruit is found not quite cured, the 

 plan is to close the cask again as quickly as may be, then bore two small holes in oppo- 

 site sides near the top and blow through, thereby removing the outer air from the top 

 layer of fruit. Then the small holes are tightly plugged and the fruit left for further 

 amelioration according to the judgment of the operator. All agreed that the proper 

 curing of the kaki is expert work, requiring skill and judgment. New casks of Cryp- 

 tomeria wood are made ready for curing kaki by wetting the inside thoroughly with 

 good sake. This is then turned out and the cask allowed to dry. This operation is 



