Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-10-18
A DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE.
Eminent Divine Tells of His Visit to
Rocky Ford.


Rev. Curtis Mogg, d. D., of Gree
ley, not long since visited his old
friend w. NJ. Crabb of Rocky Ford,
and thus contributes the impressions
of his visit through the columns OF
the Northern Christian Advocate:
"A visit to the Rocky Ford melon
fields is a most delightful experience.
For many years this was goal of
a part OF our ambition. For weeks
we had been planning to stop off and
just go among the fields and eat mel
ons fresh picked so that we could say
we had been there I'VE came. we
saw, we conquered" The raising OF
these delicious cantaloupes is at least
one of the great industries of Colo
rado. The largest single farm is con
trolled by some dealers in New York
and Boston and contains fifteen hun
dred acres. Another cantaloupe farm
OF two hundred and seventy acres is
operated by local capital. This may
not seem such large area when the
great Dakota wheat fields are consid-
cred. but even these two farms of less
than two thousand acres produce
enough melons placed ten inches apart
TO make a row from Boston to Rocky
Ford. And when it is remembered
that ther are many farms largely de-
voted to the raising OF these canta-
loupes, the enormity OF the enterprise
is just limited at. A full yield will
give about two hundred crates to the
acre with an average of fortyhve mel
ons to the crate. These forty-fvc
were selling at seventy-five cents. This
is low price. Think OF it. ye poor
mortals OF the east. paying fifteen
cents for cantaloupes-two for quar-
,t,.,t, rltt saIa ter fa
OF forty-five Rocky Fords for less than
two cents each. Crates have sold as
high as three and one half dollars.
An acre usually brings about two hun
dred dollars.
Sometimes a large area Is devoted
to the raising of seeds. In this case
the farmer will get seventy-hve dol
lars rer acre, but he does not do the
harvesting. These seeds are sold in
many distant places. This is profit
able.
But it is almost a shock to our SEN
sibilities to talk about prices and
commodities and commercial values
in connection with these delicious
melons. which are really superior TO
the tabled nectar OF the gods. Think
of pile of melons two feet high
thrown out of the end of packing
house because they were little too
ripe to SEM to the Atlantic coast
Think of permission to help your
self. with salt and pepper and other
seasoning thrown in and Eat all you
want and welcome
Camels win carry enough water to
last them several days. What place
that melon pile would tc for camels
Who would not be willing TO be a
camel for a week at least for the sake
of the indesc ribable pleasure of tax
ing the sweetness and moisture and
sun shine out of the heart of pile
of melons, camel thus loaded up
to cross the Saharas would sing in
his way all the way.
Some of these melons are so deli
cate and etherealizcd that you look to
see if they have not evaporatcd from
the spoon. 1t requires refined taste
to appreciate the superlative delicacj
of the Rocky Ford melons. If the
nectar OF the gods were half as sweet
a man could almost afford to be trans
F.! formed into a NEUROLOGICAL deity.
| Think of living and working among
these melons for two months. 1t
surely would be an earthly Paradise.
| The refined moisture OF one of these
melons going down the throat is a
] pretty fair substitute. for the elixir
OF life. 1t makes one at least long
to live forever to enjoy perpetual
youth-and cantaloupes.
/ 1t is always satisfaction to get
/ one OF these melons on the breakfast
table in an eastern state. but to go
right out among them where they
/ live and grow and ripen and sweeten
and picK one that has fully matured on
! the vines will greatly increase the
iov of the one who happens to come
in contact with this refined delicacy.'