The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-23
4 FAMOUS NfEION,S OR1cN.

u O4t4NJkANs
F. L. N%andegrift. writing of the IA
nous Rocky Ford cantaloupe, which
is grown by irrigation on the line of
the Santa Fe in the Arkansas valley
of Colorado. says
There were shipped out of the
Rocky Ford district about 1900 car
loads of cantaloupes this season. This
was abou 200 carloads short of the
usual crop. but the growers are we'll
satisfied. The cantaloupe is one Of the
mainstays of the Arkansas valley Of
Colorado. and, since it is a variety of
rare quality. 1t always will be So. :.
The father of the Rocky Ford can
taloupe. was the late G. w. SWink. In
deed, Mr.. Swink1Wbs the father Of ir-
rigatton. and everything grown by. ir-
rigation in the valley. Originally. Mr..
Swink, owning a large area Of the val
ley, ran cattle on the native pasture.
tNt lacked garden, and orchard, and
shade. He observed that water
thrown from the kitchen in the early
spring caused plants to spring up and
grow throughout the year. Even trees
took root under this chance irriga-
ton. and it occurred to him that, pos
sibly. he might use water from the
we'll for a small garden. Accordingly.
one spring. he made a garden, irri-
eating it from the we'll. But the water
was too cold to be poured directly up
on the plants, and SO he adopted the
plan Of drawing a large quantity in the
evening, and letting it stand all the
next day in the sun. This made the
water acceptable to the plants, and he
had a fine garden until late fall. The
next year. by increasing the capacity
den. Finally, other settlers followed
his example, and soon came dams in
the river and canals and bitches, until
now ene-half million acres Of the val
ley west of the Kansas line are under
irrigation.
Before his neighbors Joined him,
however. Mr.. Swink introduced the
cantaloupe in the valley. Unwilling to
make the experiment with seed to be
siouer Of agriculture, requesting that
a quantity of the best seed obtainable
from abroad be sent to him. This
was in the fall. and the commissioner
Immediately wrote to United States
consuls stationed on the Meditterane-
an coast for seed Of the "cantalouple."
which was the best melon grown in
those countries. Quantities were for
warded by the several consuls in re-
Spouse to the commissioners request,
and from the lot he selected a seed
grown in Spain. and sent q. small
package Of it to Mr.. Swink. This seed
Mr.. Swink planted In carefully pre-
pared ground, nourishing the young
plants with warm water, and behold,
in August, melons of the finest flavor
ever known!
From this, the c%antaloupe indus
try has grown in the valley. Indeed,
1t was the beginning Of the industry
in the United States; for. until then,
this species of melon in America was
the nutmeg" which had teen evolved
of the insipid "muskmelon,'' only a
short time removed from the pump
kin. Since then. varieties Of the can
taloupe of peculiarly sweet flavor
from Rocky Ford seed have taken
root in other valleys and small dis
tricts of the United States: especially.
of the Santa Fe southwest, as Mesilla
valley. Salt River valley. and Pecos
valley. and their melons have become
famous in the markets. However. the
Rocky Ford variety has lost no pres
tige by the competition. One corpora
ton, which grows cantaloupes for the
New York m Boston markets, fol-
lowing the advance of the season from
the southern Atlantic seaboard west
ward. through the Carolinas, Tennes-
see, and 80 on, has its largest planta-
ton at Rocky Ford. On this planta-
ton. besides it's greatest crops Of mel
ons, the corporation grows the seed
planted on all of Its farms in the
United States"