Imperial Valley press., 1930-04-14
REVIEW OF 1929 CANTALOUPE
SEASON BY i. S. GOVERNMENT

duction costs and reduce yields. par
ticularlv on the early covered and
brushed acreages, but the high de-
iivered sales of May and early june
seem to amply to offset these fac
tors.
"sThe first car of Imperial Valley
eqntaloupes was shipped from Ell
Centre, May II, eight days later
tlan in 1928. Before the advent of
the .Hales Best cantaloupes, first
shipments were usually made be-
tween May 1925. May shipments
were retarded by cool nights and to
June l, only 1923 ears left the val
ley, compared with 4,279 in 1928,
Tie daily movement continued un-
der the 500 car mark until June 13,
then increased rapidly to peak OF
1873 cars on June 16. There followed
an equally sharp decline to 293 ears
on June IS, due to the cleaning up
of the early covered nd brushed
aereages and the slow maturity of
many of the late fields. The peak
day of the season occurred on June
% with shipments of 80 cars. At
ter July 10, the general quality, with
the exception of a few late fields,
discouraged further shipments, and
b, the end of the week, approx
natelly two-thirds of the daily
movement consisted of honey dews
ard honey balls.
"The 1929 Imperial Valley acre
age of cantaloupes, honey dews and
honey balls amounted to 1880, as
against 34,460 IL 1928. Approximate
" 5000 acres consisted of honey
dews, and 4,400 of honey balls. The
hot spell of mid-Junc caused an esti-
mate loss of around 80 per cent of
the honey dew acreage. 1t seems
hat the cucumber beetle larvae at
tackled the main roots of the honey
dew crop in most sections and the
extremely hot days of mid-June
caused the vines to wilt, thus expos
ing the melons to the sun.
"At a meeting of growers and
shippers early in the season, it was
agreed to raise the maturity stand
ard by requiring not less than 10 per
cent of soluble solids in the juice for
the first 10 days, and then to main
tain it at nine per cent for the bal
ance of the season. With the full
cooperation of growers and ship
pcrs. it was possible for the county
horticultural commission, under the
able direction of B. A. Harrigan, to
prevent practically all shipments of
inferior stock. Reports from elstern
markets indicated that the general
quality was far above normal. Mil
dew, while serious in a few local
ties, was not widespread, and fields
where it was the most apparent were
soon abandoned. However, in the
case of honey dews, quality was not
so well maintained. The spread off
the cucumber beetle infestation and
subsequent whiting encouraged many
shippers to ship some partially ma
tured 'dews' which was later re-
Elected in terminal market sales.
"F. OBJ. cash track sales, basis
standard los were reported May ~
at $3.50, approximately $l.00 per
crate higher than the opening price
of previous seasons. With increase
IN shipments TO 200 cars per day,
local sales declined to S2-225,
reaching $1.7j on June II. This was
followed by reaction which raised
prices to a temporary top Of $2.65-
300 on June 20, but the shipments
Of 35O-400 ears daily hardly justi
fled this level and by July 4, the
market reached $l-1.25."
The bulletin continues with com
plete statistics covering daily ship
ments by varieties and loading sta
tions, daily shipments east and west
daily shipments and totals for the
/ past five years, comparative acre
ages and shipments for IL seasons
shipping point prices, distribution OF
shipments, freight rates, etc, giving
a wealth If information concerning
lthc cantaloupe industry for seasons
past.