Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-03-08
Casaba Melons for Profit.

the taSaba melon, ana Knowing
that good profits can he made by
growing these melons, ! wish to
give the Busincss.Farmcr readers
some information about them.
As you saw in my article in last
issue about the so priZr for big
gcSt drouth.rcsiSting squash grown
by any reader of the Business
Farmer, that | have spent consider
able time and money with these
melons, and getting seed from all
parts of the world this has natur-
ally given me some idea of them,
and especially as | have friends in
California and Utah who have made
big profits on the CaSaha, ! bclirvc
that some of this experience would
bc appreciated hy BuSinrSS-Farmcr
readers.
Over in TurkrStan and those dry
regions where they grow both the
winter Casaha and the winter
watermelon, they makr sort of "A
cheap basket or coarse punny sack
ana put six or eight melons in each
and hang them from nails ur pegs
in cool dry rooms, where they keep
from two or three weeks tu as
much as three months Or more,
according to the kind, and then
when they want to eat them, they
put one or two Of them in a warm
room and as soon as they bcgin to
soften they are most delicious and
sweet.
Now lets talk little about
CasahaS as We grow them in Calf
urnia 1t was about twelve or
thirteen years ago that Mr. How
lard raised the lirst Pineapple
Winter CaSaba. This melon keeps
about three months if carefully
placed in dry room and one not
So cold as to freeze. He predicted
that he would soon hr growing
these melons to piece out the
melon season, giving the frozen
East" something for he winter aS
we'll AS the summer \ couplr of
years ago they shipped II couple Of
ears to Portland, Oregon, in ordin-
AIRY freight cars without rrtrigcra.
tion, and these melons ncttod in
Portland an average Of -. 30 per
dozen. There was no loss from
decay.
They yield from Ii to ~ tons pen
acre under the California climatic
conditions. and as Mr.. Case OF
Dcming. as well AS farmers of West
Texas. have successfully grown
them. we know We have the right
climate. which is dryncss and Il,
little rain as possible while ripcning
and storing them.
The profits have run on thcS,
melons, properly marketed, from
$500 to SlOO an acre. We hay,
seven different types of CaSahaS
The Pineapple was the first To b,
extensively grown. 1t is greer
on the outside when ripe, and cam,
first from Persia.
The "pinrappIc" variety shoulC
be- planted about the last of May ol
l early June and will he ready to pict
about October. They should thcr
he stored in cool barn or under
n tree packed in straw until they
} are Just soft enough To make al
= impression with the thumb; thcr
= they are ready to eat. They nee,
= four To eight weeks to ripcn aftc>
: being taken from the vines, but foI
shipping you pack Immediately il
D crates with straw, and instruc
= buyers how to ripen them.
l. The Golden Beauty, which is
u sport of this kind, is golden yellow
. and is the same type thruout as th'
I Pineapple. Then We have anothc
: which is the Hybrid, a eros
5 between this and some mnskmelon
! This being of course softer than
e real Casaha cannot he used fo
t long shipping, but for near market
is extra fine on account of it
' flavor.
The Santa Claus and Genoa ar
long oval types and both are rN
trcmcly fine and long keepers. Tn
=. Genoa is n dark rusty green an
7" the Santa Claus notified green an