Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1910-08-19
WHEN'SA MELON
A ROCKY FORD?
ONLY WHEN m is GROWN OUT IN
COLORADO.
GOVERNMENT SAYS 50
Scope Is Limited to within 100 Miles
of That Piacc-Can Not BE
Raised Elsewhere.

There Is a fellow who Is imposing
on the public" said a traveller who
was yesterday lounging on the veranda
of n local hotel, az street vender
was crying his wares in the following
manner: Home grown Rocky Ford
cantaloupes. Home grown Rocky
| Fords"
According to the traveller who, by
the way, was a man from the Gng-
genheim state, the huckster was telling
To the public something which was un-
| true Rocky Ford cantaloupes are
only home grown when they are grown
along the Arkansas Rives valley, and
| In the immediate neighborhood of
Rocky Ford, Colorado. the place where
they originated.
There can be Rocky Ford can
| taloupes sold all over the United States
and they can be the genuine product
hut when melon is advertised as
home grown Rocky Ford stun and is
not so advertised in the Rocky Ford
district, there Is Justification some
where.
Even If the melon were grown from
the seed of an original Rocky Ford
cantaloupe. but that seed had been
planted In oklahoma, il would not be
a genuine article. Except In the fore
going particular district there con not
be grown melons of the same superior
quality Of the Rocky Ford grown va
riety. Nature has made the climatic
conditions in that secti0n of Colorado
Just right for the production of the
worlds best cantaloupes. Any grown
elsewhere certainly are inferior, as has
been demonstrated any number Of
times by the Rocky Ford growers
men who are Jealous Of their reputa-
tons.
For years---in fact ever since the
Rocky Ford cantaloupe made its en-
yiable name-Texas, oklahoma, Ar
kansas, Arizona, California, Kansas
and many other states which are in
capable Of producing such delicious
fruit, have been offering for sale at
home, and have been shipping to
the eastern markets, cantaloupes
which are labeled Genuine Rocky
FOrds," but which are as unlike the
real product as cucumber Is like
a squash. This, of course. meant that
lincalculable harm was done To the
growers IN that on favored section OF
the country. and that the name
Rocky Ford" meant little or nothing;
big yellow muskmelons have been fre-
quently sold under this label and the
consumer who was not familiar with
the real Rocky Ford soon came to be-
lieve that the much boasted melon was
little better than could be grown else
where in the United states.
thAngh thaVA hug haan
many fake varieties on the market
there has been an ever increasing de-
mand for the genuine Rocky Ford
melon In order to protect the grow
ers Of that section along the Arkansas
River the Department Of Agriculture
of the United States has made the
ruling that only cantal0upes grown In
the Rocky Ford district, or within
approximately 100 miles Of Rocky
Ford on the Arkansas, shall be known
and marketed az such. This step was
taken for the protection of the Rocky
Ford growers and their superior artl-
Gle. Hence, anyone who cries his
wares AS such, as was the TULSA street
vender, Is guilty of fraud.
However, there are enough Of the
real stuff this year being placed ON
the market that every one may eat
Rocky Ford melons II he so desires.
Word comes from the Rocky Ford dis
trict that the crop is an enormous one.
and that hardly enough men To pick
melons can be secured. Hundreds of
hands who are now out of employ
nent are Rocking To Rocky Ford,
Swirk. La Junta, Fowler Lamar, and
Las Anlmas to work in the melon har-
vest, b. asagIlAS1