Imperial Valley press., 1921-06-03
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Imperial Valley Watermel-
ons Quickly Assimilated by
Angelenos. Extraordinary
Rush of Cantalcupes
Cause Uneasy Market.

Twenty-four tons of Imperial Valley
watermelons-4S 900 pounds of rich,
red, juicy, sugary sweet gustatorial
delght-the first of the season, were
sold in Los Angeles this morning, and
at the inconseQuent figure of 5 cents
per pound.
Just few days ago small express
shipment of the earliest variety Of
water melons were gobbled up on the
market there at ~ to Is cents per
pound and the Angelenos went wild
for more. Two carloads comprising
the above shipment was the answer to
their demand.
Watermelons will be going out reg
ularly now in carload lots and will
supplement the cantaloupe market to
a great degree. The melons sold in
Los Angeles today We're of unusually
fine quality and We're received at the
wholesale warehouses there in splen-
did shape.
Cantaloupes dropped on the Los An
geles market, because of an abundant
supply to 81 to $3.50 for standards
and 1915 to 81 for ponies, with both
going mostly at the lowest quoted
figure.
Imperial Valley onions were in good
supply and brought $1.25 to $3.50 for
wax and S1.20 to $3.50 for yellow Ber
mudas. Best summer squash sold at
Csc to 75c per crate and tomatoes at
from $2.10 to S240.
There were $50 cars of cantaloupes
shipped from the valley yesterday to
all of the markets and the estimated
shipments for today are 1856 cars.
There is a spirit of feverish unrest
apparent wherever two or three, or
more shippers get together when q
discussion is started over the possible
action of the Interstate Commerce
Commission on the demand for lower
rates. All the shippers and distribu
tors in the valley are hoping hourly
for Wire from Washington announc-
ing a cut in the rail tariff on melons,
and yet there is the ever present tear
that the reduction will not be made.
The Associated Press announcement
from Washington published in The
Press that President Harding had en-
pressed concern over the rates from
California on fruits and vegetables
and had demanded of the commission
that rates be Immediately cut was
couraging nature that had been re-
ceived, and at the meeting OF the ship
pers in the Dunlac hotel in Brawley
the secretary of the association was
directed to send wire OF apprecla-
ton to the president and thank him for
the interest he was taking in the mat
ter.
The Heber growers will commence
shipping in quantities either Sunday
or Monday and the association plant
west of town on the Seeley highway is
all ready to start with rush on Sun
day. A full force of men are on hand
to take care of the packing and ship
ping and after the first of the week
there will be steady stream of Grated
melons rushed to the cars.
There is an unfortunate situation
arising in local conditions caused by
the sudden cool weather of last week
and the cool nights and early mornings
that still prevail, and that is the catch
ing up Of the second planting of mel
ons with the first, bringing an unusual
quantity into the market at once.
The express and fruit transportation
companies are prepared to take care
of any quantity of melons that MAJ
be offered, but the Cutting of the
markets is the bugbear that is con-
fronting the growers right now. With
prices already tumbling on all of the
markets to something like normal
levels, it is feared that the extra pro-
duction will cause downward rush
of prices to point where the melons
, cannot be handled at all Special
agents of the various transcontinehtal
railroads are crowding the hotels at
various shipping points, soliciting bust
ness for their reads and the local
scenes are the liveliest imaginable, and
while the general feeling is pessimis-