Imperial Valley press., 1922-04-12

ttan the Imperial Valley cantaloupe
,gr~wers break their 1921 record? That
is flle question being asked in the val
Ley these days as producers and ship
pe& begin to prepare for the marketing
se%on that opens in May.
LAS heretofore temporary field sta
tidn will be maintained at Brawley by
the United States department of agri-
ciNurc TO assist the growers and ship
pexs to market the crop by keeping
them informed of day-to-dav market
copditions and prices at the important
coQsumiiig markets throughout the
country. Arrangements have also been
mallc with the railroads TO furnish the
deYartmeht with daily reports showing
the daily carlot movement of canta-
iospes frpm all producing sections
&The 1921 cantaloupc deal was the
most successful in the history of the
in1 1nstry.. More than 10000 ears of
-nSlons were marketed. Cantaloupes
WI e shipped to every town in the
7 &ted States capable of handling a
CO load.
= EAt the beginning of the season there
wM n feeling Of pessimism with. regard
toahe probable outcome of the deal, bu;
t& gloom was soon. dispeled. Despite
an expensive crop. high transportation
AK other handling charges, and the re
dsSled buying power lof The public the
ci4 was moved quickly aud was read
il Esold nj satisfactory prices The pro-
Il s6ers and distributors this year hope
toO1nake an even better .iecord.s The
l:9 acreage is estimated by the de
I'D iment. Of agriculture at 10000 acres,
s-ai los
1.-THE Imperial Valley is the earliest
aA probably the most lapoftant can
t.&upe- growing district in the United
81 ties In 1905 only 2a1 carloads We're
slipped from this section, Since that
tie the volume of shipments has in
cr ased more than 5000 per cent. y
10 of the points TO which THE MELONS
ar distributed reads like a gazetteer.
Mn York CITY furnishes tlle largest
n,Hket. more than ! 800 carloads hav-
IN been. marketed in that city i'll, 1872 |,
Chicago is the next largest outlet, tax
ir& 200 0carloads last year. Then came
p &sburgh. with 700 carloads; Los AM
yd1ks, 600 carloads. and philadelphia,
80 carloads. In Canada IS carloads
W fe marketed, and ono lcarload was
soE to Cuba. Of the 21,350 cres
pfShted last season all but about 4 .e6D
:d4es were planted to the Pollock vari-
etW About 900 acres were planted to
H0ey Dews A few Pink Meats, Ca
ii, Xas, and Persians were also grown.
AGeorgia. South Carolina, and Flor
- are practically the only other states
IN %lucing early cantaloupes for COM
lnSfcial purposes, but the season does
nH start until June /. long after Cali
fdrpia rantaloupes begin to go forward.
&The prime factor IN the success of
liz California cantalonpe industry is
tiS great care with which the fruit is
,,:klled, packed, and transported to
market. From the time the plants make
Their appearance through the, ground
ara little paper caps or sun bonnets
arg placed over each embryonic melon
to@protect it from the scorching sun TO
tic time of loading the fruit into cars
Oh their long journey east, every pre-
ea&ion born of years of scientific
81 &dy ins the production and handling
of1tantaloupes is exercised -IAi4AJ 2
EThess cantaloupes are precious
tllkgs, and tender. Their skin becomes
oaNly bruised. Decay sets in quickly.
Sc Amingly insignificant things, such as
sh3wllder straps on the picking bags
pl4 an important part III preventing
ir&sing and the development of mold.
1t as been learned that the fruit should