The Holly chieftain., 1899-04-21
cantaf0ups Aesecls - q

- - 's$z.s<$ ~ = 49,
The csntsloups 80 ~ y l6st s4rs.
day was attended ~ 4 lss
than sny meeting held reeenf 1lne
school house in which a. n1estt9 49,
held was crowded and naany q the
new comen were 1f1aSt " learp
about the cantsloupe industry.
The contract hetweep the aesocia-
tion and the Western PonltsJ and.
Game Co, for the yesr.s GRIP was ~
snd appeared to meet With 9enesal
approvaL and the members leel tl,at
they have much trttsrsloN Tor Get-
ting good price for their melons this
year than they got last year.
A. L. johnson made . speech on -
general outlook, but dealt princjn1119
with the cantaloupe husinsaA He
urged the members to also thke ~ t1se
celery, onion and tomato industries
and not confine their c&ofts to one
line exclusively. Mr.. Johnson also
spoke very enthusiastically Of tho
skimming station which u to be estsb-
lished in Holly within f6w week.,
and the canning factory which viii be
in operation in time for this seasun's
crop. He said the farmers cOnld
figure on realizing $50 per acre for the
land they put into tomatoes.
]. G. Calhoun said he had been TAX
Ing milk to the skimming station at
Coolidge for the bast two years; had
MIXED Is cows and receiYed - to t36
every month from this source. He
thought skimming station was one
of the best enterprises for the farmer
that can be secured.
w. \. Crowley told about the ex-
perience tf the Rocky Ford farmers IN
growing and marketing cantaloapes.
He said they had found It very proft-
able to grow tomatoes in connection
with cantaloupes for the reason that
the latter were picked In the fore
noon and the former could b picked
| In the afternoon, thus keeptng their
hired help at work, where, with can
Italoupes alone they would BE- Idle half
the time. He believed from what ~
perience he has had with our soil dur
ing the past year, that we have super
ior advantages in that respect over
the Rocky Ford country.
Mr.. E. J. Hollister was invited 70
address the meeting on general agri-
cultural matters, to which he respond
ed in his usual straightforward practi-
cal manner.
He was glad to see such enthusiasm
manifested, and said there was only
one thing that could Illustrate out sue
cess. That is lack Of care In planting,
lcultivating, picking and packing.
Better raise one acre and make money
than twenty acres and lose. The only
difficulty to overcome is the curbfng
Of our ambition. Don't spread over
too much ground. Judicially irrigat-
ed, cultivated and handled, nve acres
cultivated to such crops ~ onions,
celery and cantaloupes here, VIII make
as much as forty acres In the east. He
has raised 800 bushels Of onions from
an acre, and had also raised but Is.
The IS cost as much as the 800. The
continual planting Of any one crop
will ruin the land. He watched the
cantaloupes come into market In the
east last year and they nearly all had
soft spots the result Of careless hand
ling. This can be obviated by using
baskets in gathering and greater
amount Of care in packing. II we
take pains and plant caulifl0wef, cab
bage and onions on space set aside for
that purpose, planting just what We
can take care Of then We are sure to
succeed.
At the close Of the meeting several
new members were admitted to the
association and the indications are
that the acreage Of cantaloupes will
greatly exceed that Of last year.
WHY SHE WAS AWAY
From The Detroit Free Press.