Imperial Valley press., 1920-03-30
GREAT CANTALOUPE
is BLOOMING
Continued from Page One)

cars. Some will find their costs viii
reach $1.50 and few--a very few
may get cost down to $1.35 or ever
$1.30. This is actual cost and does
not include the requisite overhead in
cluded in all going businesses. Witt
the increased freight and icing charges
this means that crate must sell fol
$3.50 Chicago for the distributor to get
back his advance money-without &
commission. All of which means that
interior points must prepare to pay an
average of So per crate from the day
the movement is we'll under way and
this average must continue through
the season. For early cars quite a
premium must be paid, otherwise the
distributor will lose money from the
jump. Here again is the great incen-
tive for rushing first cars forward to
take advantage of the early high
prices.
DISTRIBUTORS NOT HAPPY
The distributors are not at all COM
Portable over the 1920 cituation At the
best only a few can logically hope tc
more than break even. Most of them
went ahead signing up acreage before
finally settling the matter of crate ad-
vance and rents. When the crisis came
they were compelled to accept the
terms laid down by the Japanese
growers organization. In the southern
end of the valley the organization has
never had a strong hold but in the
big producing district of Brawley it
comes pretty near debating the terms
This season the growers said flatly
they would not grow melons under the
old basis. There was a lot of dicker
ing with the result that 1919 saw tn,
latest date on record for signing W
acreage. When the crisis came the
distributors found themselves forced
to accept the 81 crate guarantee along
with heavy rent advances and other
items which have made the crop
actually cost S1.35 per crate. Several
distributors admit they have beer
forced to help out growers until they
have something like $50 an acre al
ready advanced. This means that g
man with 400 acres already has about
$24 900 planted in the ground on which
he has to take his chances for pos
sible profit.
Next season will see a complete
change in the svstem-the distributors
have been promising themselves tt
make the change for many years. Thi
time it will be imperative-if the dis
I ributor is to stay in the game The
larger ones will bu youtright their
eantaloupe ranches and will in turn
lease to the growers. In this way such
distributors will have far different
control of the crop. Again, they will
I've paying themselves acre rentals in
stead of paying to the land owners OF
he valley, most Of whom have but |
one idea and that is to grab all the |
cash they can each year regardless of |
the after-results. This policy has re
suited in many fine ranches being |
worn out which could have
been kept up to the mark bv rota |
tion of crops and ANYTHING like sane
care. Land which went begging a few |
years ago at $40 to $50 an acre now
rents for $50 year and can not be |
bought for less than $3.50 and ever |
find themselves eventually paying the |
increased price for the land which |
they created the new value in through |
their DEVELOPMENT of the cantaloupe |
industry. Only few had the fore
sight to invest few years ago and |
these are the ones who are now able |
TO meet almost any condition and pro
duce cantaloupes at profit
CANTALOUPES IN FEW WEEKS |
The eastern trade will soon have
cantaloupes-it is now but a matter |
Of few weeks. So that it behooves
all interested to get busy looking to-
wards creating desire on the part of
the consuming public. The chances
are for period of few cars a day
and then when shipments reach 80 cars
a day for long stretch on that basis
So long as shipments can he Kept down
to 80 or even 100 cars daily apying
prices may be expected for this move
nent only pives a few markets .suf-
ficient supply. On the other hand the
distributors propose to cultivate the |
interior points from the start so that
aarlv shipments will be widely scat
tered thereby creating a demand at
as many points as possible 1t will
be this stimulated demand later on
which will take up the increased
Mt bot bo