The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-03-16
ROCKY FORD CANTAL0UPES
FOR The EASTERN MARKETS
ID. w. Landreth interests the Farm
ers Here, and Proposes to Take
All They Can Raise

|
called for the purpose of meeting ID. w.
! Landroth of the firm of Coggins, Lyons
! & Co.. of Chicago, Pittsburg and New
York. commission brokers. The firm is
particularly interested in the melon
/ trade and Mr.. Landrcth visits this val
! lev to induce the farmers to raise can
/ teloupes for the eastern markets. He
has evidently succeeded in doing so, as
| Saturdays meeting filled the hall and
| Herald has talked are enthusiastic over
/ the proposition. Mr. Landrcth is him
self grower of canteloupes of the
/ celebrated Rocky Ford variety and owns
| two or three farms at Pallisadc, Colo,
where the growing of canteloupcs for the
eastern markets has become great
industry. hundreds of ears being ship
ped from that point every summer and
fall The farmers in this vicinity first
had their attention called to the Rocky
Ford cantcloupc as a great revenue pro
ducer by y. \. Perry of Mob Hill, who
formerly lived at Rocky Ford and was
engaged in the industry. The soil and
climate here is particularly adapted to
raise fine melons, but in the past many
different varieties of canteloupcs have
been raised and, according to Mr. Ian
dreth, the best results have not been OBJ
tanned by the growers.
1t is said the Rocky Ford melon meets
ready sale in the Chicago and other
eastern markets at from 81 to $3.50 per
crate. while the price of mixed lots is
often as low az 30 cents Il crate. Mr..
Landrcth's firm he says, makes a spec
ialty of handling this variety and will
take all they can get. He is not salts
fed, however, with the Rocky Ford
melon raised here He says it is not
perfect on account of the poor quality
of seed used by the farmers; also that
the melons are not properly gathered
and packed for shipment. He proposes
to correct these conditions by furnish
ing the best seed, sending men here to
superintcnd gathering and packing the
melons, ana to ship them out in carload
or trainload lots. He asks the farmers
to pledge themselves to put in $50 acres
of melons this year, agreeing to take all
of them and send men here to superin-
tend the gathering and shipping, to dis
pose of the shipments and to charge for
| his trouble only l21e per cent commits
sion of the market price. About 20
acres were pledged at Saturdays meet
/ ing and very few of the Mckee farmers,
which is the great melon section, were
present at the meeting on account of
| the bad condition ofcmfwyshrdcmfw
the bad roads and the impossible condi-
/ ton of the Mckee bridge. Mr.. Landreth
expects to visit the Mckee valley before
/ leaving and interest the farmers to raise
/ Rocky Ford canteloupes. II. NJ. Gilbert
of the firm of Richcy & Gilbert who
have large farm near Toppcnish, Is
said to be very much interested in the
proposition and may make a contract
with Mr.. Landreth to take the product
of 100 or $50 acres of melons. OF the
/ 20 acres pledged at the meeting Satur-
day most of it lies within Il radius of
/ two or three miles OF the city. The hor-
/ ticultural union is interested in the
proposition rs an organization and will
hold meeting next Saturday afternoon
to make arrangements to pledge Il large
acreage. +. Remy is another farmer who
is much interested and talked to The
Herald as follows:
Il believe the farmers of this section
can make big money by growing the
Rocky Ford canteloupes They can be
shipped to Chicago for about GO cents a
crate and, taking out the commission
Tor handling them, they should yield the
grower from 81 to 1925 per crate An
acre, at a conservative innate, ought
to yield from 300 to 400 crates, SO YOU
| see a farmer can make more from his
land from this crop than any other eN-
cept fruit. Then, if the eastern market,
should become overstocked, we have the
Sound and Spokane markets near home
to depend on, but | CUES, there j. no
danger of Mr. Landrcth's firm not taking
all We can raise. Ii we should supply
more than he can dispose of in Chicago
his firm will ship them ON east or sell
! them at St Paul, Minneapolis OF Duluth
and, no matter where they are sold the
commission will be no more | know
myself that this character of melon sell
| dom goes below 81 a crate in Chicago
and it is a very prolific crop. 1t is not
a difficult crop to cultivate. either. The
/ first of the melons ripen about the first
week in August and the vines continue
to bear until frost comes, generally
about the middle of October. There is