Marketing Japan Persimmons: 
The fruit should be gathered when fully grown 
but before the softening process begins, if it is in- 
tended for long-distance shipment. It should be cut 
from the trees and handled very carefully to pre- 
vent 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 pack- 
ed for shipment. The best crate is the six-basket 
carrier commonly used for peaches. Small speci- 
mens 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 the baskets in regular order according to size. 
There is considerable work now being done on im- 
proved shipping containers, such as_ three-layer 
packs in a cardboard box. Some system that would 
hold the fruit firmly in place without fruit to fruit 
contact would be desirable, similar to an oversize 
egg carton. If the fruit is sent into a new market 
a card giving the name of the fruit, stating the de- 
gree of maturity at which it is best and giving dir- 
ections on how to use it, should be placed in each 
crate or better still in each basket. This will pre- 
vent attempts at eating it before well ripened and 
will create a favorable impression of the fruit. 
Cause and Cure of Dropping 
In 1909 we discovered the cause of the dropping 
of immature or partly developed Persimmon fruit, 
and, from that date until the present, much time 
and study have been given the problem. 
Examine the pistillate flowers of a Japan Persim- 
mon and it will be noted at once that there is no 
pollen in them to fertilize the pistils and cause seed 
to form and fruit to set. This was our first dis- 
covery. Then, in April, 1909, we found that another 
kind of flower is sometimes borne on Japan Per- 
simmon trees. These were entirely different in 
shape, smaller in size, and contained well-developed 
stamens with plenty of pollen. Only three flowers 
were found then, but the pollen from these was used 
on the blossoms of varieties that would not hold 
their fruit, and the fruit matured. During the sea- 
sons following thousands upon thousands of hand 
pollinations were made, with uniformly good re- 
sults. The fruits held and grew to maturity. 
The next step was to find a Japan Persimmon 
that could be depended on to produce pollen-bear- 
ing flowers every year. This was found later in 
1909, and in 1915 we introduced the Gailey Persim- 
mon. This variety has been tested out in orchard 
plantings, and its pollen carried by bees and other 
insects has caused good crops of fruit to set. The 
pollen from native Persimmon trees will not help. 
Although many thousands of hand pollinations have 
been made with native Persimmon pollen, so far 
no seed has been secured and the pollen of the na- 
tive Persimmon has not helped the setting of fruits 
on the Japanese varieties. Hence the Persimmons 
planted to furnish pollen for the Japanese Persim- 
mon must also belong to the same group. 
Gailey Persimmon Introduced 
_ We introduced the Gailey Persimmon in 1915. It 
is not recommended for its fruit, for, though good, 
it is small, but it is introduced to be planted along 
with other varieties to supply their flowers with 
pollen and insure crops of fruit. One tree of Gailey 
should be planted with every seven or eight of every 
variety of our list, except Tane-Nashi. Tane-Nashi 
will hold fruit without pollination. 
