Olen Saint Mary Nurseries 
Deciduous Fruits 
The worst enemy of Persimmon trees, and the only one worthy of note, is the Flat-headed 
Borer (Dicera obscura ), a native insect. The adult is a hard, metallic beetle, about five-eighths inch 
in length. It lays its eggs in rough-barked places in the crotches of the tree, or in wounds made in 
pruning or resulting from injuries of any kind. The young borers hatched from these eggs bore through 
the bark, work between the bark and wood, later boring into the wood. The larvae when well grown 
are about one inch long, white, with broad, flat heads and round bodies. That they are at work 
in a tree may be known by the discolored bark and by gum oozing from the trunk or branches. Cut 
away the bark and wood with a sharp knife or chisel and destroy them. Paint the wounds thus 
made with good, thick, white-lead paint. Carefully paint all wounds when made, and scrape smooth 
the rough-barked places on young trees. By careful attention to wounds on the trees, they may 
be prevented from entering, and the trees will live to a good old age. 
Marketing Japan Persimmons 
The fruit should be gathered when fully grown but before the softening process begins, if it is 
intended for long-distance shipment. It should be cut from the trees and handled very carefully to 
prevent bruising. It is usually best, even when the fruit is intended for home use, to gather it before 
it begins to soften, and ripen it in a dry, warm room. The flavor is quite as good as when ripened on 
the trees. 
Immediately after picking, the fruit may be packed for shipment. The best crate is the six- 
basket carrier commonly used for peaches. Small specimens should be discarded and the fruit should 
be carefully graded for size. Wrap the fruits in a good quality of fruit wrapping paper, and arrange 
them in baskets in regular order according to size. If the fruit is sent into a new market a card 
giving the name of fruit, stating the degree of maturity at which it is best, and giving directions 
on how to use it, should be placed in each crate or, better still, in each basket. This will prevent 
attempts at eating it before well ripened and will create a favorable impression of the fruit. 
Processing Persimmons 
As pointed out in the section “Notes on Varieties,” the astringency of the Persimmon before 
ripening is due to soluble tannin in the fruit. This has been a material drawback in the marketing 
of the fruit, as it is necessary to ship the fruit while hard, astringent, and not edible. If the fruit 
could be placed on the market while still hard but not astringent it would assist materially in giving 
the Persimmon the prominent place in our markets that it deserves. 
In Japan, several methods of securing this end are in use, the most important of which is to 
expose the fruit to the fumes of sake wine in closed sake casks. More recently, Mr. H. C. Gore 
of the United States Department of Agriculture, has perfected a method of making the tannin in¬ 
soluble by the use of carbon dioxid, the gas used at soda-water fountains. The fruit is placed in 
an air-tight container, the gas is allowed to enter through an opening, and the fruit is subjected to 
its influence for two to seven days. When removed, the fruit is still hard but non-astringent, and 
may be eaten while hard or allowed to soften. The results on Tane-Nashi have been very satis¬ 
factory. Mr. Gore has also made a very attractive article of dried Persimmon. These methods of 
handling the fruit open up a new field for the Persimmon and are bound to make it more valuable 
as a market-fruit. For further details see Bulletin No. 155, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau 
of Chemistry. 
Notes on Varieties of Persimmons 
Some of the varieties have dark flesh, others light flesh, still others a mixture of the two. The 
light and the dark flesh differ radically in texture and consistency, as well as appearance, and when 
found in the same fruit are never blended, but always distinct. The dark flesh is never astringent, 
the light flesh is astringent until it softens. The dark-fleshed fruit is crisp and meaty, like an apple, 
and is edible before it matures. Some of the entirely dark-fleshed kinds improve as they soften, 
like Hyakume and Yeddo-ichi; others are best when still hard, like Zengi and Taber’s Nos. 23 and 
129. As they are good to eat before they are ripe, it is not so important that the dark-fleshed kinds 
be allowed to reach a certain stage before being offered to consumers unfamiliar with the fruit. 
The light-fleshed kinds, and those with mixed light and dark flesh, are very delicious when they 
reach the custard-like consistency of full ripeness. In some the astringency disappears as the fruit 
begins to soften, as with Yemon, and in a less degree with Okame and Tane-nashi; in others it persists 
until the fruit is fully ripe, as with Tsuru. The light-fleshed kinds should not be offered to consumers 
unacquainted with the fruit until in condition to be eaten. A person who has attempted to eat one 
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