Arizona republican., 1911-06-16
MELON MEN
 FEEL GOOD. Seasons Prospects Were
 Never More F|atterIng BIG YIELD, GOOD PRICES Market Conditions Satisfac- tory and Demand Grow ing-How to Tell When a Melon Is Ripe, in the Day Time.
BIG YIELD, GOOD PRICES

The Salt River Valley Melon Grow CTS association has opened offices at B West Jefferson street in the quar- ters formerly occupied by the Farm CTS Exchange. Office room is di- vided with the Phoenix CantaIOupe Growers association and K l.. Mum ford, field representative of the Gib- son Fruit company of Chicago, the commission firm which has con tracted to handle the cantalOupe croD The melon growers are just now en- toying a peace Of mind that almost passeth understanding They chal- lenge any other class of agricultural ists to be any more Contented than they are with their present prospects Every one of the three years or the associations existence has been a profitable one and this years harvest and market is the most promising of all
 The association is thoroughly or sanized and has it's business well H hand The officers of the association are Phil Woodring. president; R Os- mundson, secretary: and G. R Brew ster, manager E. r. Snodgrass is the bookkeeper,' stenographer and office man. The directors are E. A Leak. Gus Forester. A. J. Shamblin. Phil Woodring and R. Osmundson. The association has about fifty members with approximately 25O acres ofw at ermelons, all of which are in fine condition. promising a better yield than ever before This is due mainly to the perfect water conditions that have prevailed. this having been the first year in the history of the valley when there was always plenty of water. just when it was wanted It is pleasing to note this observation, as it is made from time to time by the different growers of crops in the val ley. First came the alfalfa men. then the grain men. then the sugar beet men. and finally the watermelon and cantaloupe growers. while the vegc- table growers and hOrticulturists have been happily all season. Great is water storage,
 The association for the most part does business direct with .he retailer. pr from the field to the counter, so the melons may be laid before the consumers at the lowest possible cost. hundreds of miles away from where they are grown. During Its three years of business the association has so established itself that it is known to all the large retailers in h.
 sition to buy in carload lots This saves the expense of maintaining a travelling representative. though all sales are under the supervision of Manager Brewster. who is well ac- quainted with his patrons. and who. when necessity arises. can make a special trip to this or that point In the event of q greater supply of mel OnS than the association has oI ders for the surplus is consigned to com mission men in places large enough to handle the melons in tha. quantity. the association preferrIng to take what chance it has to in such an eXigency rather than let the melons rot in the field. But that has only occurred a very few times since the associa- tion was organized and it has al ways received fair treatment at the hands of the commission men.
 For the dual purpose of widening it's business reputation and securing a better safeguard against a glutted market, Secretary Osmundson left last night for Los Angeles. where he expects to make arrangements with a fr1ig . Si ha hap ed the association in the past for handling whatever surplus 1t may have The watermelon consumption of Los Angeles is. of course. many times the product of this valley. even If that city took it all, but the California product also has to be absorbed and melons are shipped to Los Angeles from Mexico and Texas All that the $. R V. association hopes or wants to do for the present is to make a market for its small surplus outside of the Arizona de- mand, but it does propose to send to the coast city a quality of melons that will be always in demand. and by a central and well advertised agency make a name for itself and give to the valley a desirable publicity. lf that can be arranged. as it doubt less can be. there will be no surplus to waste. Los Angeles will be ready to take whatever the Arizona mar ket does not require. At this time the demand in Los Angeles Is not great. for it is yet cool, but a few days of hot weather will doubtless start things, and it is also gratifying