Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-11-17
lRookyford CantaIoupo
6
m Thoea Do;eod =; o.,.oca Co.,.,, 90 tho poc+ In tho
''0Se Na'Seo !" -aNfe''s county arc ''e DsS' !" ''
are the Best In the
Entire Country.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Colorado that in measure handicaps !
the possibility of an increased acreage
and that is the season of their maturity. |
They make their appearance in the /
eastern markets in the latter part of
August. The bulk of the crop is
shipped during the month of September !
at time when northern markets are
loaded with every variety of fruit grown |
in the temperate zone. At that season
of the year may be found in the same
market with the Colorado cantaloupe,
the apple, the peach, plum, the grape I,
and in short every variety of fruits ex-
cept tropical fruits grown in the United |
States.
1t has been the desire of cantaloupe
men to find some place where canta-
loupes could be grown under similar
conditions as those grown in Colorado
that would mature by July 10Th, and
the season of shipment extend up to
September LIST. So anxious were the
growers and men interested in growing
this the most delicious offruits that tens
of thousands of dollars were invested in
glass in hot houses in Southern Indiana,
the object being to force the growth of
the vine to such an extent that they
would mature their crops early in July,
at time when the demand was the
greatest and before the great crop of
peaches, plums, apples, pears, grapes,
ct cetera grown in the northern states
had made their appearance.
Now these Indiana people have for
years been reaping golden harvest by
this mode of catalogue culture, but, like
most fruit grown in an unnatural or
started in an unnatural condition, their
season was advanced at the cost of the
yield and the flavor of the fruit. The
Indiana growers have for years been
practicing this system of culture, but
the expenses are much greater under
this system than open field culture
in addition to that, cantaloupe soil in
Indiana, as in all other states, is very
scarce and this land has been contin-
ually cropped for so long that for the
last two or three years the melons have
been of inferior quality and have been
grown at loss of the planter.
The men in the various cities who
have made a specially of cantaloupes
since the Rocky Ford section was first
developed, realizing that the Indiana
section would eventually cease because
of continued cropping to furnish canta-
loupes at that season of the year, have
constantly been on the alert to find
section that would produce good
article at that season of the year. 1t
was tried in the Indian Territory, in
Texas, in Arizona, in the Pecos Valley,
at a great expense, but all efforts were
unavailable until finally after crossing
the mountains valleys and plains they
reached the Mojave desert. They were
at the end of their journey; they be-
lieyed, fguratively speaking, they had
discovered the promised land. They
found in the valley an atmosphere void
of moisture, they found climate where
rains were practically unknown, they
found territory practically below the
level of the sea, all that was needed was
water; that need was supplied, but it
took hundreds of thousands of dollars to
do it. To irrigate the lands of the
Mojave desert was a costly proposition,
but it was accomplished. The land was
prepared, the seed was planted, the
fruit was produced. 1t was placed IN
the homes of the consumers in the far
distant cities of theeast, but al what a
cost.
In addition to the cost of making the
crop, think of the freight and the re-
} frigerator charges on car of canta-
loupes from Barstow, Colorado to
Boston. 1t is true that they came high,
but the demand was there and the
Mojave desert planter is richly paid for
! his labor and investment. In addition
, to the Colorado cantaloupe might be
mentioned little place in Arkansas
Malvern--the peculiar ground or soil
{ necessary to produce perfect specimens
? of this fruit is so limited at that point
] that but few are grown and outside Of