The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-29
1t Has Caused Overlooking Of
the Topeka Market.
Biggest Acreage Planted in
History Shawnee County.
|AN IDEAL MELON DISTRICT
This Territory Is Well Adapted
to Their Growth.
Topeka Is q Distributing Point
for the Fruit.

The Topeka market has been flood |
ed with watermelons this season. 1t
is not because the yield has been ex-
cept:onally heGvy. say the growers. but
because there was larger acreage
planted to melons than ever before in
the history of Shawnee county. In
numerous instances farmers who have
hauled watermelons to Topeka have
been compelled to return with their
load, because Of inability to dispose of
them.
william A. (Gus) Luthye of Cedar
Point farm on the lower Silver Lake
road, nine miles from Topeka, and q
prominent watermelon grower, said In
speaking Of the watermelon Rroduc-
ton in Shawnee county: 1--WE can
grow as fine melons here as can be
grown anywhere. The melons begin
to bear about August 1 and continue
until frost. II a ready market can be
The market is overloaded this year.
Many farmers heard that good profits
were being made In melons, and con-
sequently there was a big acreage
planted this season.
Melons Are Sweet.
1.-THE crop is not exceptionally heavy
this year. The melons never set SO
well in dry weather, but the quality is
better than in a wet seasOn-the mel
ons are sweeter."
ACCORDING 10 MI. AuIny0 ten wagon
loads IT melons to the acre is an aver
age yield. One hundred and twenty
melons of ordinary size may be loaded
on a wagon. This would mean a yield
of 1900 melons to the acre. At Is
cents each the grower would realize
$3.50 There have been season when
q better average price than Is cents
has prevailed.
Mr.. Luthye does not entirely de-
pend upon watermelons for his income.
On hi ,fsy-vH f<v ho al
grows corn, Irish and sweet potatoes,
and alfalfa. He also raises few hogs.
This year Mr.. Authye has five acres in
watermelons. and is growing some
cantaloupes for the first time. He is
an up-to-date farmer. His attractive
two-story house which is provided with
water, lighting system, and a sewer
system. shows that he has been pros
porous. Mr.. Luthye and his brother
John. who has a forty-acre farm in
the Kaw valley. were among the first
Shawnee farmers to buy automobiles.
Center of Distribution.
Topeka furnishes good market for
watermelOns. 1t has teen estimated
that 100000 T-elons are consumed in
the city in season, and local commits
sion houses ship melons by the car.
load to western kansas and other
points. The fact that the market is
Over-Supplied this season indicates the
enormity of the watermelon industry
In shawnee county.
In an entire season 200 carloads of
watermelons are handled by Topeka
commission firms. Aside from the
local melons th-t are shipped to other
points, many melons are shipped N
from Texas and other states, and dis
tributed in Kansas. Forty cars of
cantaloupes are handled by the COM
mission merchants.
1t is the light sandy soil Of the Kaw
valley that is particularly adapted to
the growth of melons. Both water
melons and canta1Oupes are raised and
the statement has been made that
there are 500 acres in melons alone in
the Shawnee county north-river Sec
ton.
Some Prominent Growers.
The other day E. G.. Kassebaum,
who lives eight Lilies west of North
Topeka, piled sixty melons in big
lumber wagon that averaged SIS
pounds each and brought them to
Topeka. They were of the Tom Wat
! son variety.
L. A. Neiswender, who lives near
the Luthye place, has made a reputa-
ton for the size of his melons. He
crossed Cobb's Gem with another
melon and his melons run from 40 to
80 pounds in weight.
| Among the growers on the north
side Of the Kaw and west of Topeka
aside from those mentioned, are: j.
A. Banta, Tom S. Neiswender, j. A.
Antoine, Elmer Towles, James Davis.
and Desire Debaker.
East of Topeka David Chiles is one
of the most extensive growers, who
has been in the business many years.
Among others are: George Lessman.
Hub Bryant, B. Montgomery, Ivason
Chiles, J. F. Hayden, and Tom
Vaughn.
Biggest Load of Melons.
| The larges. load of waterme1ons
! seen on the streets Of Topeka this sea-
! SON was that brought Friday evening
| from the kassebaum farm, eleven
miles from Topeka on the lower Silver
Lake road.
On big Avery truck belonging to
the Seery & Morton company and
driven by G. w. Moran, PAS melons
were piled averaging forty pounds in
weight. Several of them tipped the
scales at 65 pounds. They were Tom
Watson melons and all things consid-
cred it was the finest load Of melons
seen in Topeka this season.
II Mr. Kassebaum has eleven acres in
melons. He also grows corn and
alfalfa on his eighty acre farm. His
corn will run forty bushels to the acre
II Editors Note: This is the four
|. teen.h of a series Of articles on agri-
Il culture in Shawnee county published
II tho state Journal