The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-08-31
LAWRENCE
CANTALOUPE
SEASON JUST CLOSED HAS BEEN
A PROFITABLE ONE.

LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn, Aug. 20.
Wednesday the Shipping Commit
tee of the Federation of Lawrence
County Cantaloupe Association ship
ped tie last car of the federation. The
committee has shipped LAP cars, 20
going from here. The record price for
the Lawrenceburg cantaloupes were
$3.50 per crate, and some cars shipped
out of here sold for over 81 900. The
best melons went from here. They
were in great demand, and brought
as good prices as any grown. During
the shipping season there were rep
resentatives here of firms of all the
large cities, and there were appointed
distributors of these melons in all the
cities, so that wires as to prices OF
cantaloupes were received daily from
all the markets, the cars being SO dis
tributed that no market was crowded,
and the result was that the melons
were put in the best markets.
The crop here did not turn out as
we'll as was expected at the first Of
the season, but there were no good
crops in any other cantaloupe grow
ing section on account of rain This
section usually has a very different
climate from that of this year, and 1t
is generally very fine one for the
growing of cantaloupes, so that there
are as rule fine melons shipped from
here. When there is good crop year
thas county can knock out the other
places on the quality of the melons,
and it would have made a better rep
utation this year had there been more
planted so that all the markets could
have had more of them.
There have been failures IN the can
taloupe business this year, as there
always will be in anything, but most Of
the failures were due to inexperience
in growing. and probably there were
some patches that were so large they
didn't receive as close attention as
necessary. There were some growers
here who have always lived close to-
the market, so that they picked their
melons too ripe At the first of the
season some bugs got on the melons
and damaged them, and the growers
had to try number of preparations
to keep them off, which probably In
iured some patches. Some persons
with small patches were the most
successful, as they would give the
closest attention to all parts Of the
patch. If there is favorable weather
for cantaloupes next year, as 1t usu-
ally is, this county can make better
record than it has ever before, as all
will be more experienced in growing
the melons and packing, grading, etc.
Paul Rose, a fruit grower of great
reputation and a successful grower
of cantaloupes elsewhere, has propa-
gated new variety Of cantaloupe,
which he grew here this year with
great success. It has very fine Ma
vor and equals any other variety and
surpasses many Those shipped from
here sold successfully everywhere.
Some of the growers are going out
of the business next year; but It Is.
! evident that there will be more acres
in next year than. this, as 1t has been
proven that this county has soil suit
ed for cantaloupes and that they can
be grown successfully. There were
1900 acres in the immediate vicinity
of Lawrenceburg this year. The
average, well-attended patch during
the best part Of the season netted the
grower about So per crate, while some
netted higher.