Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-04-20
MEDBURY VALLEY
TO GROW MELONS
SETTLERS ORGANIZE MELON
GROWERS ASSOCIATION
AT THAT PLACE
Perfect Climatic Conditions, Rich
Soil and Progressive Growers
Promise for Medbury a Success
full Year in Melon Business.

Hammett, Idaho, April i9.-Med
bury Valley will the coming summer
send out several hundred carloads
of watermelons and large shipments
of cantaloupes. Such are the plans
of the Medbury Valley Melon Grow
ers Association, which is composed !
OF. the ranchers in that section who
are each devoting a certain acreage /
to the growing of these delicious
fruits. over $50 acres of watermel-
ons have already been planted and
about thirty acres will be devoted
10 cantaloupe. Three paintings are
. being made, so that should the frost
take the first or second, there will
still be a supply of seeds terminating
and ready to come up. The weather
is thus forestalled and the earliest
possible start is made.
The seed is all obtained from Bur-
relI. the famous Rocky Ford, Colo
rado grower and scotsman, and is
of thre standard varieties, Ala
bama Sweet, New Tom Watson and
Kleckley Sweet. The latter is per-
haps the sweetest melon grown, but
will stand shipment only to near
by markets. These varieties have
proved to be the ones most suitable
for production in the valley. Three
varieties of cantaloupe will be grown
in order to determine which will be
the best for general growing.
The fine loamy sandy soil of Med
bury valley produces superior
quality of watermelon and very
high grade cantaloupe. Experiments
conducted last year show that they
can be placed on the market at a
time when they will bring the high
est prices Last year cantaloupe were
ripe as early as July 10, one month
ahead of the maturity of the crop
at Rocky Ford, Colo, a place that
has made a great reputation in can
taloupe production. Commission men
stated that the quality of cantaloupes
grown in King Hill and Medbury
valleys was superior to the Colorado
product as those grown here have
a hotter climate in which to mature,
due to a lower altitude. Medbury
Valley cantaloupe can be put on the
market at a time when they are
bringing Sc crate in Chicago and
when shipments can be made by the
car load the grower is certain of
large returns. The aim of the Asso-
citation the coming summer will be
to establish the reputation of Med
ebury cantaloupes in as many diff
ferent markets as possible, and es-
pecially to get them introduced into
the Montana markets.
This place has already been shown
10 be a great watermelon section
and is perhaps the earliest in the
state. as ripe melons came on about
the goth of July during the past two
seasons. A multitude of varieties
were tried last year, but this sea
sun lnC pldn - " 6CN VI N"~ ~N--
ket early with three standard kinds
Judging from the yields secured here
last year, a nacre will furnish from
two to three carloads of marketable
melons, and the early ones should
bring top prices. The acreage Ii
large enough to furnish car loac
shipments from the beginning of the
season, and Tammett will be a busy
place when watermelons get ripe. Th'
Growers Association is considering
the plan of making Butte a distrib
uting point for Montana towns an'
placing a selling agent in charg'
there who understands his business
It is thought that this will be
better plan than to trust to the ten
der mercies Of the average commits
sion merchant It is admitted tha
the only problem to be met and solv
ed by the growers is that of market
ing, as the raising of melons is al
easy and pleasurable task.
Five acres is that average patel
each rancher will raise, but a mum
Der OF others are planting large
tracts, among them being R. W. Sim
pkins. 20 acres; G. e. Gray, Is acres
and Fred Marhofer, 10 acres.
The AIedbury Valley Melon Grow
ers Association was organized abou
two months ago. The ofhcers are
George E. Gray, president; DR.. A
A Atha. vice president; R. W. simp