The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-08
A SLUMP IN WATERMELoNS.
THE CROP CONSIDERABLY SHORT
OF WHAT 1T WAS LAST YEAR.

OF WHAT 1T WAS LAST YEAR.
Georgia Got Ahead OF Florida This
Year. However. and sent on the
First Car-There We're Nineteen
Cars shipped Last Week-The ship
mems VIII Increase steadily
From Vow On-Iosv WatermeIOns
Sell ia New York at the First OF
the season-The Number Of Melons
Consumed in the Metropolis.
The Georgia watermelon has begun TO
get good healthy move on 1t toward the
markets Of the northeast and the north
west Georgia was the first in line this
year. and on June 8, two days earlier
than last year. the first car Of the season
was shipped from Pdcock, on the line Of
the Savannah. Florida and Western rail-
road. The first car last year was shipped
June 5 from Meigs. on the same road
But with all this hasty getting into the
market the crop this year is not going
% De what It was last year Last year
iS.S cars were shipped from Georgia and
Florida, but this was an exceptionally
big crop In 1894 the shipments were 1870,
anu in 1893. BIO cars.
The acreage this year is estimated to be
ABOUT bl Der cent. of what il was last
year. But the crop, il is said, is in an eN-
cepuonaly good condition, ana the rail-
I9a4a expect TO ship prOportionately more
imam they did last year. Ia other words
q better yield is looked for and with
eSseIy6SAlns favorable the melons Will be
Last weeks shipments Of early melons
amounted To nineteen cars, the first car,
az already stated, being from Georgia
Nine cars have been turned over 10 the
ocean 5 steamship Company for shipment
70 lne eastern market, and six cars have
gone through Savannah by all rail for
New York. Four cars went to western
markets. TWO OF them being from Georgia
ana TWO from Florida. OF the fifteen cars
tnal Went through Savannah, twelve cars
were Georgia melons and three Florida
melons. Inc shipments yesterday
amounted to four cars all of which were
from Florida Three of these went
through Savannah to the eastern market
and one went west
The reduction in the acreage in Georgia
mas been due largely to the unsa tisfactOry
prices received for the melons last year
The large supply coupled with pretty
good rates OF transportation, operated eff
IectlVely 20 largely reduce the receipts
OF the grower. The melon growers have
peen asking a reduction In the freight
rates, but this has been refused by the
t5ai I,tation companies on the ground
mat melons being perishable, the compa-
MES would be liable to heavy losses in
Cs9e shipments should spoil on the way
or IN case the market was glutted Many
OF the growers have said if a reduction
OF ~ per cent. In the transportation rate
We're made they would willingly prepay
the freight This question was consider
ca AZ some length at the recent meeting
or the southern States Freight Associa-
ton at Old Point Comfort, but no action
was taken with regard to it, 1t costs from
$40 10 Sl31 per ear to place watermelons in
New York, and when the cost of produc-
ton, commissions and other expenses are
added TO this, il viii readily be seen that
lne average grower has TO work on
small margin.
The first watermelons that arrive in the
eastern markets always bring good prices
they retail at something like $50 per 100
wholesale. and as there are from 1000 TO
lztO melons in a car, they bring from
500 70 5000 These prices, however, do not
last long. The first melons are retailed
IN New York all the way from 90 cents
up TO 81. Florida's acreage this year is
estimated at about 5000 acres. but the
crop there has received considerable of a
setback on account of the drought, and
II IS estimated that the yield will be about
% per cent less than that of last year.
A prominent commission merchant of
New York, who receives big share Of
the melons shipped from Georgia and
Florida, gives an interesting statement
as to the receipts of watermelons in that
This market is almost wholly supplied
by Florida, Georgia, South and North
Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and New
Jersey The melons arrive from the dif-
ferent states successfully in the order
In which they are mentioned. Missouri
states, which produce watermelons extern
sively find markets for their products
nearer home.
1T has been estimated by experts that
when the crops are full there are annually
received in this city about 20,000.000 mel
ons but what the quantity VIII be this
| year is difficult to predict until later in
| the season. The supply when fun, comes
| from the different states mentioned in
about the following quantities: Florida,
! 100000; Georgia, I000,00 South Caro-
! lima, 100000; North Carolina, 100000;
! Maryland, 100000; Virginia. 1,1O0, 600: New
! Jersey, 1,100O00 total 20000,000. When the
| melons are received they are carefully
culled and classified as primes 'medi-
ums' and seconds, and are sold to fruit
! dealers, grocers, hotel keepers and others
| in lots ranging from one dozen each to
| large truckloads. As the season advances
| the prices steadily decline, and the mar
| ket frequently becomes so glutted in mid
| obtained, and heavy losses are expert
| enced by shippers and receivers"