Imperial Valley press., 1933-07-18
ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED ON
VALLEYS CANTALOUPE DEAL
BY A. E. PRUGH and L. 7. KIRBY
Federal State Marketing Service

Federal State Marketing Service
Cantaloupe growers and shippers
in Imperial Valley for three seas
ons have fought a losing battle
against adverse marketing condi-
tions. To their credit. lei it be
said. they are still moving en-Still
determined that BY new varieties.
re-cooled. yine-ripened melons,
curtailed acreage and better packs.
they will eventually pull the in
dustry back into the sunlight Of
prosperity. To practically all Of
them, the 1888 season was Just an
other Improbable one. After suf-
fering heavy losses in 1881 and
1882. acreage of cantaloupes and
white melons was cut to 1886 in
1898. This compared with $3.50 in
1892 and 1.64o in 1881. The Gov
cred cantaloupe acreage was 1926
End the uncovered 7776 in 1888 conf
pared with 1900 covered and IA
1856 uncovered for 1882. White mel
ons totaled 1884 in 1899 and 1887
in 1882.
Starting out with an acreage TO-
900 under last year. an unusual
freeze occurred February Q which
caused replanting of 50 per cent
of the covered melons, weakened
The vines and brought on a very
late SEASON. Then the high winds
through April and into May whip
red the vines and resulted in loss
Of bloom and many of the early
melons that had set on, and to
further handicap their growth mil
dew swept through the brush cov-
cred and early cap covered acreage,
causing generally poor quality,
small sizes. and yields in many
fields of only 40 crates TO the acre
Growing brush covered melons IS
expensive and such small yields re
suited il heavy losses. At times
picking in the early acreage ran
IS per cent to 20 per cent ponys,
and on account of this large volume
of small cantaloupes. instead of
ponys selling +. o. b. at 70 per cent
to rs per cent of the standard 10
price, the usual basis, they fell TO
as low as 40 per cent of the STAN
dare price When the replanted cap
covered acreage carle on. sizes were
mostly jumbos and fairly good
yields were secured.
During the first part of Inc seas
on loadings were so light that
choice" or ripe, full slip melons
were scarce and commanded soc
premium f. o. b. Later on this pre-
mium was cut to 25c. Considerable
Lard ripe stock was pre- cooled. The
cost of preceding was reduced to
almost one Jnlrd of the rate III
1892. Preceded cantaloupcs did
not show the premium in eastern
markets that prevailed last seas
on. being mostly 25-50c in 1888
compared with 50c-s100 per crate
in 1892 This was attributed to
the fact that better melons were
available in 1892 ard that consider
able stock in 1873 vas rot pre-
cooled long enough; also that seY-
era cars of regular western choice
instead of only hard ripeS, were
preceded and shipped east.
New Varieties Developed
Several new varieties made their
appearance this season. Among
them were Weaver Specials. AIildeW
Resistant Hales Best, MelodeWs and
Nuggets. The pink meated Weaver
Special is a cross between a honey
ball and a cantaloupe and the green
meateQ Melcdew Is a cross between
honeydew and a cantaloupe. The
MildeW Resistant Hales Best car
RED well. but had a tendency 10
grow TOO large, which may be cor
rected by further seed selection. To
show some comparative prices, on
June % jumbo ass sold in New
York as follows. cantaloupes So rs
$50. preceded S3.5O-375: honey
balls $375-425. pink meat honey
oalls S3.5O-3.75: MelodeWs $3.50
375. Chicago on the same day sold
jumbo as cantaloupes at S2.65-2.7
preceded 25-50c higher. Weaver
Specials S3.75; honeyballs SO $50.