Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-31
= sournnns wArnnMnLoNs.
None but the Hest Known Varieties
should be Grown.

(Apropos of the horticulturist meet
ing to be held in the courthouse satur-
day at Fort Worth. the following Is
published 1t is an article prepared
for the Farm Department for Sundays
Gazette)
In an able article on August IS, the
Michigan Farmer, says:
"Watermelons are now coming IN
at the rate OF from thirty to nifty
carloads "a day. They come mostly
from Texas and Mississippi. The
Georgia melon Of the Kolb gem variety
supplies the bulk OF the dealers at
this season. II Is a round melon with
pale strips running in Il longitudinal
direction. The stripes are pale as COM
pared with the brilliancy Of the color
ing on the rattlesnake melon, which
comes from Texas. The latter is
long. slender melon, and ranks low
in the market, because 1t has a little
end which is pithy and UNFIT to eat
Now here we have an important les
son In melon growing. II you wish
ia raise melons for shipment you
should plant the Kolb gem. They have
established themselves In the markets
and 1t Is waste of time to try TO
supplant them or educate the people
to the superiority OF some other varle-
ty. when we see the kolb gem ranked
high In the market and the Georgia
rattlesnake ranked low we are dis
posed to smile, at the same time we
admit man has the right to his taste
and standard OF excellence and ii he
prefers the Kolb gem argument Is not
IN the case, When u man In Texas
goes into the market with his products
he should remember that he carries
the great state Of Texas into that mar
ket. lie has 1t in his power b. adj
vance the interest Of his state OF in
jure every one I'm the same business
with him. lie should spend some OF
his time considering the market quea-
ton, or he should stay out Of the
market. II has long since been known
in Texas that the Kolh gem and other
similar round melons were preferred In
the markets OF the North. Those who
have considered the matter have ship
ped to these markets The Kulg gem and
have been well paid for so doing
Now come inexperienced persons and
ship the rattlesnake melon and the
market ranks them as low" and all
Texas melons are ranked low and the
industry in this state suffers accord
ingly. The apple growers Of the North
do not raise the Ben Davis apple on
account OF It's excellence or their good
| opinion OF IT. In their meetings they
merit they give It is that 1t sells The
| people who buy apples want a, large
| apple and red ones, and the Bon Davis
| fills this want, Texas can never COM
| pete In the markets with any product
| unless the demands of the markets are
| understood Get together. study mar
| kets, consult the freight agent Of your
! ruilroad, raise what the people want
/ and ship only the very best specimens.
/ on the other hand IL zach individual
| proceeds on his own plan to raise
varieties according 10 his own taste we
| can expect to see the Texas melon
rated low" and the Georgia melon
where organization and intelligent in
| vestigation of such questions exist,
rated high, In Detroit from thirty to
fifty cars OF melons are sold each day
| and "a reckless, ramshacle way Of do
ing business has driven Texas out OF
this market. Other markets present
the same conditions 70 us. they sell
TO ship. Texas suffers from this and
there IS no excuse for such crime
against the products OF the state.
There are in Texas persons who study
markets and cater to the demands
thereof, It is evident from the above
TINT there are others, who by not UNI
Outstanding the principles OF market
ing. are doing much damage and caus-
ing much loss to the state Organize
local societies, discuss marketing and
advance Texas interests and conserve
your own, In no state of the Union
are finer Kolb gem watermelOus raised
than In Texas and az this Is all that
Is needed IN the markets to make Texas
watermelons rank high, why not raise
and ship the Kolb gem and It exclu.
siyely for shipping North?