Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-04
WAY UP IN PRICE.
HOW THE WATERMELON SEASON IS STARTING
IN HERE AT WHEELING.
So Far the Fruit Has Been Failure-The Georgia
Melons Way OF COlOr-Soms Reasons For
the Stiff Market-The Season viii DO
at Its Height in Three Weeks

In about three weeks the watermelon
season will be at its length The first
stages Of the fruit have reached US already
and during the past week or two there has
been a moderate supply about Wheeling
and vicinity, but nothing like that Of last
season.
In warm weather people crave things
that are wet, cold and sweet, and, properly
arranged, the watermelon fills the bill. At
times there seems TO be nothing else that
so satisfies that indescribable longing for
something. The watermelon is often
found appetizng when all other dishes
fail, and for this reason there is a fair de-
mand for the fruit throughout the sum-
mer. Since the season opened from four
10 six carloads a week have been coming
into Wheeling, nearly all from Geor-
gia, and IL has been
many years since poorer watermelons
have been seen. The crop has practically
been failure in Georgia, and the result is
we have been getting some consumptive
looking fruit The peculiar, varigated
looking meat has caused quite general com
ment.
Another thing, the melons are higher
this year than for long time, and the sup
ply is scarce. There is not one-Quarter the
number coming in that there was last year,
and this is ascribed to three reason. First,
everybody that had watermelons last year
shipped them north and east in great guam
titles. and so general was the shipment
that in many cases the persons TO whom
they were shipped refused TO take
them on account of inferior quality, and
the freight bill naturally reverted back to
the shippers, and il is said the railroads
have had pretty difficult time collecting
the money. Secondly, all Southern rail
roads this year require the shippers 70 pay
freight in advance in order to avoid any
dellnquencies, and for this reason the
growers have been rather wary about
shipping The freight heretofore fell 10
the commissioners or people to whom
whom they were sent that is IL they de-
cided to take the consignment, but this
year the railroads have decided 10 take no
risks. Third, the extreme warm weather
has tended 10 created a brisk demand, and
like ice cream there was steady call dur
ing that recent sweltering period This
has naturally kept the price up. The
dealers here have been paying at The rate
of 500 to $3.50 a car for waterulelOns this
wear, whereas last season they could be
purchased between 1925 ard $l35 a car.
Following close upon the heels of the
Georgia melons should come the Missouri
melons, but the crop IN that State has been
a total failure, and none are expected from
that locality. In about ten DAYS now the
first-class, prime watermelOns Of the season
will make their appearance. They hail
from Indiana and the Indiana melons are
always the most welcome species. They
are nearly always dead ripe, and richly
favored, and ind ready sale. They are
now regarded even better than our own
Ohio river melons. There will likely be
fair crop of the home melons, and it is be-
lieved they will be of good quality, as there
has been favorable weather for growing.
One of the produce dealers here yesterday
received a telegram stating that the first
shipment of Indiana melons would be made
on the 10th inst.
I'VE never count melons when selling
them in Wholesale quantities, - said deal
err yesterday. They 60 by the carload or
wagon load They are only counted when
the small dealer gets hold Of them II
makes little difference whether they are
large or small and | believe the grocer
makes more out of the small ones. But IL
is the restaurant man who makes nice
profit He will take a nice melon that cost
hlm say twenty cents one the public would
paw thirtv-tive cents for-and cuts 1t into
from twelve to fifteen pieces, which he
sells at five cents slice. OF course he has
to keep them on ice, but he makes about
800 per cent on his outlay. Still the public
does not kick, for a slice of watermelon on
ice is worth big money, and discounts
a stiff, chunky meal of meat and potatoes
on a warm day.