The Mena weekly star., 1919-02-20
CANTALOUPES BIC POLK COUNTY COUNTY CROP
I, 1919 Expects to Have Biggest Acreage, Biggest Yield per Acre, and Biggest Pro6ts-Seyeral
 Organizations Completed.

Polk county is going after canta- loupe record this year. Unless there < an unexpected hitch in present ar rangements the melon season of 1919 will see these results attained:
 The biggest acreage.
 The largest profits per acre
 A decided increase in land values.
 1t has long been known that Polk county, particularly in the sandy soils, was able to produce a cantaloupe of unusual sweetness and flavor While these facts were known to the home folks, little effort has been made to give the knowledge to the outside world, and give commercial value to this exclusive Polk county advant- age.
 Nothing succeeds like success, how ever, and to a few strong-hearted souls, who have persisted in growing the lucious melons, Polk county owes it's prospective boom in cantaloupe production.
 While cantaloupes will be shipped from many different points in Polk county this season, the biggest busi- sess in melons will be done at Grannis and Wiekes. At these two points there have already been pledges given to produce more than 400 acres of cantaloupes. The growers have organ ized and have contracted to sell their product at prices which promise big financial returns.
 h the vicinity of Grannis, a total acreage of 250 acres has been con tracted for with a possibility of in- creasing this figure before planting time comes in April. Here the grow CTS, who are mostly farmers, living within few miles of the Kansas City Southern railroad. have organized in- to a mutual association.
 This organization is buying fertiliz- CT needed for the crop, is using select ed seed brought from Rocky Ford, Colo, and is acting on behalf of the growers in selling the melons
 The Grannis organization has the following officers
 President-L B. George.
 Secretary-H. W. Gleason.
 Treasurer-J. w Cannon.
 Sales Committee-J. c. Jones, A. A. Spike and w. E. Taylor.
 The 1919 crop has been contracted for by the Gateway Produce Company at Tearkana, a. the following prices, f. o. b. cars Grannis.
 Standards $1.50 per crate.
 Ponys-$1.20 per crate.
 Jumbo flats--55 cents each.
 The Grannis association is not only working on cooperative basis among it's own members, but is also acting in the same spirit with the or ganization at Wickes.
 At Wickes 150 acres have been con- tracted for by the Texarkana firm at the same prices offered Grannis grow CTS for their melons.
 The Wickes organization has off, cers as follows:
 President-H. R. Jacobs.
 Vice President-W. M. Lowery.
 Sec -Treas.-E. W. Hamby.
 Sales Committee--John A. Kern, o. E. Lee and W. Nj. Hedge.
 At Wickes the cantaioupe growers are also using Rock Ford seed.
 limited production of cantaloupes the past few years has already had the effect of doubling land values in the vicinity of Grannis, and when the returns come in from the 1919 crop, a still further increase is expected
 Judging from the experiences of some of the Grannis growers, the jump in land values isn't to be won dered at. Take for instance W E. Taylor, who last year had 25 acres in cantaloupes, tho it was a poor season, reports that he produced 6000 flat crates on the 25 acres an average of z4V crates per acre. At 50 cents crate his net returns were $l20 an acre.
 J. W. Cannon of Grannis has re- erd, vouched for by several of his aelghbors and acquaintances, of pro duelng 500 crates from one and A acres. Mir. Cannon is said to have been badly disappointed with farming l n Polk county, until he tried melons. Now he is one of the most energetic 1 or the cantaloupe boosters.
 ". E. Taylor is the pioneer grower | ln the Grannis district, and has found | melons more profitable than cotton. even at war time prices. He Is au- thority for the statement that by us- l Ing good seed, and proper fertilizer, We can produce 100 crates of canta- ioupes per acre on the poorest kind of | soll tn his vicinity. He is in position | 70 know, for in 1917 he sold 2700 | crates from one 5-acre patch m addition to increasing land val | aes and giving the growers big re- turns per acre for their work, melon | growing promises to be the means of l developing another industry, that of crate making.
 The Grannis and Wickes growers nave contracted for the Jumbo bat crates needed this year, from the Isett lumber Company at Wiekes As melon growing develops, Mana ger Bert Higginbottonn of the Isett com pany plans to add additional machin- cry So that all classes of crates can pc made right at home. This will not only furnish employment for labor, nut will utilize grades of timber for which there is now but little demand
 CantaIoupes in the Wicles and t4FuFf441ss ALI