Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-27
HOW TO PICK AND
PACK CANTALOUPES
Chief Derickson of Market Divi-
sion Gives Some Help
full Suggestions.

OF cantaloupes IN getting their product
to the markets in proper condition,
W. L. Derickson, Chief Of the Division
II Markets at Dover, publishes the fol- |
lowing article which is taken mainly |
from Farmers Bulletin No. ll45, issued |
by the United States Department of
Agriculture.
Inasmuch as the State of Delaware is
SO admirably located in close proximity
to the eastern markets, the proper time
of picking cantaloupes, IN order to IN
sure the best eating quality when they
reach the consumer, is just after they
will slip clearly from the stem, that rs,
ut the full slip stage Of maturity. there
is at present great tendency TO PICK
too green, and green melons have a de-
pressing effect on both demand and
prices, and Delaware melons IT properly
handled and PROMPTLY loaded, will carry
in satisfactory condition even to distant
markets, when picked full slip.
The carrying and keeping qualities OF
cantaloupes are largely dependent upon
the care exercised to prevent mechanical
injuries in harvesting and preparation
for shipment. From the standpoint of
minimizing or other mechanical injury
many faults in the present handling
practices may be corrected readily by
reasonable attention to equipment and
labor. 1t is believed that baskets are
more practicable for use IN the field
than bags, as they are more conveniently
handled, and if ordinary care Is used
by the pickers, there is less chance OF
bruising. Great care should be used
in loading and unloading these baskets
from the wagon, so as TO prevent drop
ping or other Earring, and baskets when
stacked should be so arranged as to not
bruise the cantaloupes on the top layers:
Cantaloupes from field baskets should
be graded or emptied into packing bins
without unnecessary throwing, dropping
or rolling, and the lining of packing bins
should be made of soft material, or 1t
made of boards should be we'll padded
to prevent bruising. During the packing
cantaloupes should be placed care
fully in the crates, and not dropped or
tossed into place as is frequently done.
Injury caused by squeezing can be pre-
vented if packers are careful not to force
in diversified melons when finishing crates.
Cantaloupes should be packed so that
the tops Of the crates bulge slightly when
cover Stats are nailed on. If the tops
bulge too much, the cantaloupes be-
come bruised and spoilage results.
Wagons used for hauling packed crates
to car loading platforms should be
equipped with springs to reduce the
injury from Earring. 1t is equally rs I'M
portant that the men in charge OF load
ing cars use due care IN loading,
as it is that the grower use due care
in harvesting and transporting his cam
taloupes TO the buying center. II the
car loader is negligent and careless, much
of the growers work is undone.
Crates should be stacked only on their
sides, AS the side bulge is usually much
less than the top, and there is thus less
chance of injurlng the melons, neither
should they be thrown or dropped into
position, to do SO causes serious INJURY
and deterioration. This applies not only
to the handling Of crates AT the loading
point, but also during the unloading from
cars, and during distribution to whole
sale, jobbing and retail stores.
Do Not Wrap Catalogues.
Wrapped cantaloupes do not cool so
well in transit, and do not reach the
consumer in as good condition as do
unwrapped cantaloupes. Free circula--
ton OF air around each crate and around
each melon is essential to quick effective
refrigeration in transit, and wrapped
cantaloupes cool off more slowly than
those not wrapped because the paper
retards the free circulation OF cold air,
and TO some extent acts as an insulator,
preventing the free transmission of heat
from the melons. A large part of the
loss from wrapping also occurs because
of decay and mold, which develops after
the canataloupes have been unloaded
from refrigerator cars. When, on sum-
fner DAYS. crates of cold cantaloupes
are removed from refrigerator cars
moisture from the atmosphere condense:
on the surface of the melons. This mols
ture soon evaporates from the un-
wrapped melons, but from the wrapped
melons. the evaporation is Numbered by
the paper, which tends 10 retain the
moisture thus causing mold and decay
The reduction of serious market losses
from oversoft, overripe and decayeo
cantaloupes, is also dependent TO a large
extent upon the promptness with which
they are placed under refrigeration
After picking they should be hauled
without delay from the field TO the pack
ing shed, where they should be kept IL
the shade until packed, and they should
be packed Immediately, and while tn,
cantaloupes are being hauled from the
packing shed to the cars, IT is well Il
cover them with canvas or other ighf
colored cloth 10 protect them from tbs
sun. If il is necessary TO load fats anC
standard crates together, the fats should
be placed on top layers or in the stack
nearest the brscing Care should alsc
be taken to avoid careless loading o.
shifting of packages The circulation
Of cold air from the ice bunkers is
necessarily slow, even under the hes
conditions, and open spaces between
the rows Il crates should be provided
DR.. J. +. Adams of the University o
Delaware advises that the ripening O
California cantaloupes on the road fv,
DAYS. amounts TO but six hours ripenin,
in field conditions, and it is obviou
that our shipments of cantaloupes iron
Delaware, owing to their nearby desti
nation, does not warrant picking them il
tho green stage which will continual,
destroy the demand for Delawar
cantaloupes by the city buyers.