The Ordway new era., 1916-01-21

son, and, more particularly, an un-
usually cold and wet season in the
eastern marketing centers. It was
developed by the Investigations that
in such weather the demand for cam
taloupes falls on very decidedly.
Certain of the Investigators studied
the movement of the crop while in the
hands of the car lot dealers; others
Investigated its later movement to
jobbers, while still others followed
sample carloads in the hands of the
retailers; thus getting at the complete
history of such sample or illustrative
carload.
The results of this last mentioned
study of retail conditions are pecul-
iarly significant and vitality important
to the Colorado growers since it in
dictates way of vastly increasing the
demand for their product and of con-
siderably enhancing their value to the
consumer.
It was found, in the first place.
that the retailer in most cases is not
displaying Colorado melons in way
most likely to. influence sales. He
Just has them on hand and offers
them as melons" But that II he
had a display card on them announc-
ing what they are and where they
are from, buyers would be more apt
to select them and more likely to
repeat their purchases.
The great bulk of retail sales are
made in less than fiat crate lots
three and four melons at a time. The
buyer, II present. picks out the ones
she wants and usually picks the hard
est ones instead of those fully ripe.
This leaves at the end of the crate
two to three melons which a subse-
Iquent buyer looks askance at, and.
in the end, they are left on hands
and are q loss.
But, IL the housewives can be in
iduced to take them crate at time
and are advised that the way to use
them is to eat the softer and ripe
ones first, the whole are found satis-
factory and there is no loss. The
dealer who ordinarily sells twelve
melons by the melon, loses the other
three in the way above described.
He could well afford to sell whole
crate for the same sum since the GUS
toner would be better served. her
melons would cost less and she would
therefore. buy more freely. Dealers
who pursued this plan were found
to have increased their sales from
two or three crates day to as many
as ten or twelve crates day.
The Investigators have, therefore.
disclosed that retailers should be in
duced to put out display card an
nouncing the quality. ETC., of their
melons and that they should be cir
cularized touching the advantage Of
crate sales as compared to single
melon sales.
While this is of Importance to the
retailer and consumer in that 1t is
found to result in increased sales
with equal returns per crate, and in
Increased satisfaction to his custom
ers, 1t is of vastly more Importance to
the melon industry in Crowley coun-
ity. The advantage accrues to the re-
taller by the crate but it accrues to
Crowley county by the carload and
therefore, every fiat crate going out
of the county should contain a little
slip addressed to the retailer telling
him to make a display card for
Pink Meats from Colorado-best in
the world" etc., and also explaining
the advantage of crate sales at re-
lduced prices from sales ex-crate.
The cost of this advertising matter
need not exceed cent per crate. half
of which might we'll be by the car
lot dealer and half by the grower. It
should result in stablizing the de-
mand for Crowley county melons as
we'll as increasing it beyond what 1t
Ordinarily may be.
| But to advertise the superior quail
ity of the. melons in the way above
suggested is not enough. Crowley
county should also stop the system
attic advertising of their Gull melons.
by permitting sales Of this trash on
the platforms Of the railway stations.
It is true that some of the melons SO
sold are good. but 1t Ii notorious that
some are not. This constitutes o
disgfaceful swindle ON the buyer. and
he goes OF to his home In the East
and becomes walking advertise
ment there against Colorado melons.
Just ~ surely as . passenger Who
buys . hne melon boasts OF it, quail
lity and boosts Colorado sales. does
1.-THE one who Is s'windled knock the
colorado melon and destroys its sales.