RECORD OF THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 



By H. C. Gore, 

 Assistant Chemist, Division of Foods, Bureau of Chemistry. 



SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED IN 1907, 1908, AND 1909. 



Experiments on the processing of persimmons have been carried 

 on for four seasons. During the first season a large number of experi- 

 ments were undertaken in Florida, Mr. William Macklin, of Dinsmore, 

 cooperating with the department, in the attempt to apply the Japan- 

 ese method as given in the report of Col. Watrous. Studies were also 

 carried on at Washington during the same season and during 1908, 

 1909, and 1910. It is only the work of 1910, however, that has 

 yielded any fundamental knowledge of the conditions under which 

 processing occurs. 



Experiments of 1907. — The results of the experiments of the fall of 

 1907 showed: (1) That the Japanese method unmodified could be 

 applied with fair success to certain varieties of Japanese persimmons. 

 Hyakume, Okame, and Zengi processed with ease. Hachiya and 

 Tane-nashi processed, however, with difficulty, while Costata and 

 Triumph did not yield at all. (2) The processing caused the normal 

 rate of softening of the fruit to be considerably accelerated in case of 

 the varieties Okame, Hachiya, Tane-nashi, Costata, and Triumph, but 

 this effect was barely perceptible in the case of Hyakume. (3) But- 

 ter tubs whose walls were saturated with dilute alcohol were found 

 to serve as well as sake tubs soaked with sake. (4) In using freshly 

 picked fruit gathered during moist weather, much cracking of the 

 epidermis and consequent spoilage occurred. Hyakume was most 

 seriously affected. This was probably due to the condensation of 

 water on the fruit, a result of the excessive humidity unavoidable 

 by the method. 



Experiments of 1908. — During the season of 1908, 5-gallon oak kegs, 

 closed by oilcloth held tightly in place by one of the hoops, were 

 empWed instead of sake tubs, and dilute alcohol was used instead of 

 sake. 



Hyakume yielded very readily, becoming nonastringent in three 

 days in experiments in which only 5 per cent alcohol was used. The 

 rate of softening was not perceptibly affected by processing. 

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