The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-11
HOW KANSAS MELONS GROW.
A Rock Island Department Man Illus
trates to an Eastern Friend


speaking about melons, said Mr..
Sliven, of the Rock Island melon de-
partment, to a friend from the east who
was standing on the depot platform
waiting for the train going to Kansas
City, one day last week, we have been
having a rush of business in the melon
line for the past three weeks"
rs that So" said the eastern man.
yes, and we have had a hard time
in getting cars enough to haul the
crop. You know, we have been having
some new cars of 100000 pounds capaci-
ty built at our shops; well, we had to
put them all on the melon route"
why, is that So"
yes; our regular $4,000 pound ca
pacity cars wouldn't stand the work. e"
wouldn't stand the work. Why?"
Why Why because they were not
strong enough. You know everything
is on the grow in Kansas this year, and
melons are keeping right along with
the rest of the things. You take full
grown Kansas melon this year and it
is about all that the railroads want to
put in one car. In fact some of the
railroads almost refuse to handle them
if they are of extra size"
mo, is that So
@Of course it is so, and then it is dol
lars to doughnuts that we may get
stuck on the road, or have our cars
break down and delay traffic, besides
having the cars all broken to pieces"
That's too bad
Yes, DuL- Il all comes IN ralIrOdQln2-
Say, you haven't been out in the melon
part of Kansas, have yOu?"
No"
''Wen, it would pay you to go out
and watch the way the people do bust
ness. This melon industry is a grow
ing one. I don't suppose that you will
have time to go out there on this trip,
so I will tell you how we do it in Kan
sas. As soon as the melon raiser noti-
fies the railroad that he has planted his
melon crop, we Immediately lay a side
track along the side of his field. Now
just as soon as the vines blossom, we
the track and head the vines towards
them AS soon as the vines are suffi-
GENTLY mature and the little melons
show themselves we carefully lay the
vines on the cars, taking care to have
only one melon on car, and then our
work is done for few weeks while we
wait for the melons to grow. You see
the advantage of this, don't yOu?''
'Well, yes and no." said the eastern
man. who was standing with eyes and
mouth wide open.
wen, it saves US lots Of work, be
cause in this way the melon is all load
ed when it is ripe, for if we should
wait for it to ripen and then load it.
we would have to have a portable der
rick and several men to help"
Yes, that is quite a saving said
the eastern man.
New, when the melons are ripe. we
saw off the vines, hook on a couple of
other string of empty cars are run on
to the side track, to be ready for the
next vine. Had to have all our bridges
braced extra strong, for you know we
couldn't afford to get dumped"
How do you get them off the cars 90
asked the eastern friend, who was now
convinced that he was in his right mind
and getting a true report Of the kan
sas melon crop.
"Oh, that is easy enough, we run the
cars into the large cooling houses.
where we can either roll the melons off
down an incline or cut them I'D while
they are still on the cars, and pack the
slices away on ice until they are sold
to some hotel"
Haven't got any melon trains com
ing IN today, have you?" asked the
eastern man as his train was just round
ing the curve coming into the depot
I don't know for sure; we ought to.
why yes, here comes one now. See
those melons," said Mr. Sliven. and he
pointed up the track to where several
nat cars with green painted oil reser-
Yoirs were just being put on the side
track Amt those beauties? lust
think of cutting into one of them
Wei, declare said the friend from
the east. I didn't exactly believe that
the melons grew so large out here in
Kansas, but am glad that 1 saw
them" And after saying goodbve 70
Mr. Sliven, he took the train for the
east, fully convinced that he had seen
a Kansas melon.