Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-05
''CIass and Quality" Melons
Bring Good Prices to Farm
ers of Counties Surround
ing Abel
BY RALPH SMITH

ties fthe state-Cook. 1t original
ed with and from the experience
of wide-awake civic worker and
community builder-J. J. Parrish,
Jr., secretary of the chamber Of
commerce of Abel, pushing, pro-
gressive town some eighteen or
twenty miles from Valdosta and the
capital of Cook county.
1.-THE possibilities of an organ1-
cation of farmers along cooperative
lines were Impressed by my expo
rience in trying to help the farm
ers in the vicinity of Abel market
their crops" said Mr.. Parrish" Il
had been struck in my efforts by
the fact that the better the quality
of a farm commodity the easier was
it's sale. There is relatively little
trouble about selling the best of
anything.
"It occurred to me if I could per-
sl1ade the farmers to improve the
quality of their watermelons and to
standardize as nearly as possible
their product, one of the biggest
| difficulties in their sale and dis
tribution would be overcome. OBJ
viously it would have been futile to
attempt to direct the farmers in
| diyidually, so che idea of a coop
erative organization suggested itself.
In this way it seemed possible to
unite a considerable number OF
farmers in the production Of a stan
dardized commodity"
Taking the Initial Step
The initial step in the organiza-
| ton of the Southwest Georgia Wa
termelon Growers association was
to call a meeting of the farmers
living within radius of fifty miles
of Abel. The invitations to the meet
| ing went to farmers in Cook, Ber-
rien, Tiff, Lowndes, Brooks, Col
quit, Worth, Thomas, Grady, Mitch
ell, Turner, Lanier. Ben Hill and
| Irwin counties.
The meeting was not largely at
| tended, but out of it developed an
organization that in it's first year
accomplished wonderful things for
it's members, as will appear hereafter.
| Only about 10 per cent of the grow
| ers who were invited to join the
association accepted the invitation,
but the S. G.. w. G. A. began to
function with total Of IT'S mem
bers, cultivating 2,378 acres of land
in watermelons.
A permanent organization was
perfected at the initial meeting,
with the announced purpose of pro-
noting the growing of q better
| class Of watermelons," and of pro-
viding "fieid inspection of melons
and instructions to it's members, in
order to improve the quality OF
melons shipped by it's members.
A further purpose, as agreed
bers of the association facilities
| for the improved distribution and
sale of melons and to render such
other services as might prove neces-
sary in making the watermelon in
| dustry of southwest Georgia more
! profitable to the growers. This, OF
| course, included provision for slim
ulating the demand and finding a
market for melons produced.
Membership Regulations
It was decided to open the mem
bership books to bonafide growers
in southwest Georgia engaged in
the cultivation of at least five acres
of melons for market. The member
ship fee was fixed at $40 and 81
per acre for each acre cultivated
in excess Of ten.
LII JOlUlIS .Lu0 dSSOCldIlOll, Cl1C
member obligated himself to enter
into contract with the .associa-
| ton to receive it's services and to
market his entire crop through the
| association, in accordance with pro-
visions of the bylaws of the or
ganization.
Mindful of the fact that the sue
cess of community production and
| cooperative marketing in Califor-
MIA and elsewhere has demonstrated
| the necessity of seed selection, the
| bylaws of the watermelon aSsocia-
| tiot provide, first of all, that all
seed planted by it's members shall
be approved by the secretary of
| the association in writing.
eve permit members only to
| plant seed of the very best quail
| ity and we seek to standardize the
selection Of seed so that our prod
,uce will be generally the same"
explained Mr.. Parrish. 1--WE have
selected the Tom Watson melon
as the best, and we are encourag-
| ing it's production"
Another important provision of
| the bylaws which the member ac-
| cepts is that he will thin his melon
vines to one vine to the hill, at
| the time or before the vines begin
| to run. He is required further to
prune off all melons in excess of
two to the vine. This pruning must,
| be done as soon as two good and
Well-formed melons have set and
attained growth of six inches.
The association employs inspect
ors to see that members obey the
regulations as to thinning their
vines and pruning off excess melons,
and a heavy penalty attaches to
violations of these requirements.
Loading and Grading
The loading and grading Of mel
ons shipped by the association from
Abel or any other shipping point
Of the association is under the i'm
mediate supervision and direction
of an inspector. His word as to these
essential details is final.
It is the duty of the loading in
spector to pack the melons in
freight cars, treat them for stem
end rot with a recognized prepara-
ton and to grade the melons in ac-
cordance with the standard market
grades.
The regulations provide that the
wagons or motors in which melons
are hauled from the farm to the
shipping point must be padded on
the sides and bottom, free of nails
Of other objects calculated to bruise
or scratch the melons. Loading in
spectors are under orders to reject
for shipment such melons as may
he bruised or show evidences of
careless handling.
1.-THE regulations adopted by the
association were not formulated
haphaZard,'' said Mr.. Parrish.
"They were well and carefully con-
sdered before they were adopted
1t was the desire of the associa
ton to produce a melon that could
| he guaranteed and sold under a