Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-08-11
FOR Federal
~" : ''fii;;P iNSPECTlON
Cantaloupe Growers and Dis,
tributers Unite in Request
"FULL SLIP" PICK
AND UNIFORM PACK
Must Be Rieidly Enforced to Protect
the Cantaloupe Industry of the
Arkansas Valley

the Cantaloupe Industry of the
Arkansas Valley
At a we'll meeting of
cantaloupe growers and distribu-
ters, business men, government
men and railway officials i'll the
Otero County Agricultural club
rooms on Saturday afternoon an
agreement WAS effected that is
confidently expected will result in
restoring the former reputation of
the genuine Rocky Ford canta-
loupes as "the best on earth"
This meeting was the outcome
of the agitation by the growers
hereabouts for some Legislation
that would prevent the shipping
of unripe and inferior quality
melons, and as it was too late for
such bill to become effective
this season it was deemed advis-
able to attempt to control the sit
uation thru the Bureau of Mar
kets, whose representatives were
present to get the views of those
vitally interested in the protec-
tion of the industry.
H. B. Mendenhall was chosen
as chairman and G. Z. Kitchen as
secretary of the meeting and an
expression of their views regard
ing federal inspection was elected
from the following:
&C. Carleton said he had made up
his mind to buy nothing but "full Slip
melons this season and he favored feder-
al inspection.
The secretary Of the Japanese asso-
citation said that he would have his fell
low growers sign an agreement for fed
e.al inspection.
S. A. Mathews spoke for Crutehfeld
& Voolfolk and himself and heartily fav-
ored federal inspection for full slip" and
uniform pack.
E. E. Cadwallader, representing the
Patterson-Pope Co.. said he would will
ingly agree to anything that would pre-
vent the shipment Of everything but "ful
slip" oantaloupes.
~. Reifel said he had spoken with
government men and expert growers and
they one and all asserted that the only
solution of the cantaloupe trouble lay in
uniform pack and maturity.
J.L. Ascherman said that he voiced
the opinion of the Newdale growers that
federal inspection should be made OF
every car of cantaloupes that left the
valley.
Representatives from La Junta heart
lly favored federal inspection.
The representative of the Santa Fe
railway said his company would cooper
ate with the growers and distributors in
their efforts to counteraet the eantaloupe
trouble, and the Wells-Fargo Express
Co. official said his company had demon
strated that a green melon would not
mature in an iced car. but under existing
conditions they could not refuse to ac-
cept a shipment even if every melon car
red foot or two of vine.
P. X. Blinn favored an agreement for
federal inspection.
o, w. West said that the East End
Melon Growers had determined that
every cantalope they shipped must be
full Slip"
S. S. Bailey, secretary Of the old re-
liable Rocky Ford Melon Growers assoel-
alton, said his association had the repu-
tation of shipping good STUFF and he
believed that if an agreement was made
by the associations. commission men and
cash buyers that a crate that had beer
turned down by anyone should not be
accepted by another it would put an end
to the oantaloupe evil.
o. j. Baxter SAID there was now an
opportunity to secure federal inspection
and the growers would be protecting
! themselves if they availed themselves Of
the opportunity.
Mr.. Moore of the Bureau OF Markets
stated that the demands upon his de-
parture were so great that it was I'M
possible to meet them all. SO that he
could not say what action might oe
taken upon the request for federal in
spection. He realized tnat the only way
the Arkansas Valley growers could COM
pete with home grown stuff was b!
shipping quality. and to this end th'
t,la., co-oneration WAS necessary be