Monte Vista journal and Monte Vista graphic-reporter., 1924-08-15
Head Lettuce Early Shipments
Start at Price $l.@ a Crate

Head Lettuce is bringing as high
a. $3.50 per crate around Del Norte
and South Fork at present. accord
ing to w. s. Johnson OF the Bank
Of Del Norte However only about
four carloads of early head lettuce
have been marketed 30 far. Mr..
johnson says. Two more cars were
loaded at South Fork Thursday.
However the cream Of the crop
10 yet to come for the best grade Of
lettuce will come in on the late crop
which is said to be In excellent con-
dition At present with ample water
in sight to finish off the crop. A
slight hail storm struck the South
Fork region Wednesday night but
did little damage. It is predicted
the best OF the late crop will top
the market above 81 per crate. The
Girard Company, Fort-Tidwell and
Burton Seed Company are the pres
ent shippers from this locality.
With the present prices holding
up and prospects good for one Of
the best crops OF head lettuce ever
harvested the outlook on the let
tnce industry Of the valley IL ex-
ceptionally good At this time. At
present the biggest cloud on the
horizon Is the scheduled freight
rate increases which the Attorney
General declares will amount to an
additional $4,000 for the noun
tain districts II two proposed rate
Increases are put into effect on let
iuce shipping.
Attorney General Wayne Williams
declares the future Of the industry
10 endangered II the proposed raise
in rates Is put into effect. Mr..
Williams and Joseph Passonneau.
state director of markets last week
filed q protest AGAINST the increases
In rates.
Under a ruling Of the Western
Weighing and Inspection Bureau the
arbitrary estimated weight OF con-
tainers of vegetables has been in
creased. The increased billing
weight OF a crate OF lettuce is five
pounds. This means. according to
Mr.. Passonneau. an increased charge
Of four and one-third cents hum
dred to lettuce grt~ers.
This Increase, together with the
proposed 10 cents hundred freight
rate increase on the Denver and Rio
Grande railway. will mean % per
cent Increase in freight rates over
last year" he said. On a basis OF
1900 cars. this would amount to
more than $4,000 on lettuce alone.
1.-The freight rate on . crate OF
lettuce from Alamosa to Chicago
will be raised from 65 cents to so
cents. This Is more than the noun
tain vegetable industry can stand A.
this time. The mountain growers
need reasonable rates perhaps more
than any other farmers. They rep
resent a new industry and the sue
cess of this Industry will largely de-
termine the value OF the mountain
sections as an agricultural region"
Argument for an Increase In
freight rates on mountain vegetables
b made on the fact that the aver
age price paid on Chicago markets
las, season for Colorado lettuce was
- Der crate. according 10 . letter
written to the Interstate Commerce
Commission by officials OF the Den
yer and Rio Grande railway.
"Os this amount. however. the
grower got only about 40 per cent"
explained Mr.. Passonneau. "One o.
the most successful Of Coiorado's
lettuce associations last
year paid growers sl.25 per crate.
This was %I.& per cent OF the total
returns. Twenty-three and eight |
tenths per cent OF the remaiS der
went for freight, while labor. sup |
plies and other expenses totaled
3%.S per cent.
mot many Colorado lettuce grow
ers can compare their returns with
these. Members Of another lettuce
association received u net return OF
only 80 cents last year. while = third
group ncttcd 20 cents.
III both tho freight rate and
weight Increase 20 into effect. and
prices this year approximate those
OF last year. the amount which
growers pay for freight and refrix-
eration will bc greater than tho net
returns 10 the growers Of all but
one Of the associations ! have cited.
Business associations and Cham