18 The Bulletin. 



color of the rind. A melon of this kind will have the appearance of 

 having been woven with whipcord. "Well netted cantaloupes, but not so 

 well marked as the fancy, together with melons of a size not fitted for 

 fancy, should be graded as No. 1. Fruits with netting fairly well devel- 

 oped and with off sizes may be graded as 'No. 2. (See Fig. 6.) The 

 amount of netting for a No. 2 is not so important as the coarseness of 

 the netting in determining as to whether the fruit is to be graded as 

 No. 2 or culls. In no case should slicks, cracked, overripe, or bruised 

 fruit be shipped. They should be consigned to the cull pile. 



The above grades should be maintained as long as the vines are in 

 normal condition. As the season advances the vines lose their vigor, and 

 for this reason it is essential that toward the end of the season more 

 attention be given to grading. It will become necessary to eliminate the 

 fancy grade or make it a No. 1, and No. 1 a No. 2. In order that the 

 grades of fruits be held up to standard quality, the grower should from 

 time to time test a few melons from each grade. In this way trouble 

 as to quality will be avoided. On the market the outward appearance 

 of a cantaloupe is the only means by which the quality is to be judged. 

 In order to protect the buyer and maintain his own reputation, the 

 grower should not fail to make a test every few days. 



THE PACKING SHED. 



The chief essentials of a good packing shed are plenty of shade, light, 

 and a good circulation of air. To have these it must have a good roof 

 and one that overlaps the sides of the shed considerably. The sides 

 should be open (see Fig. 7), but may be boarded in order to give shade. 

 It may be either a temporary or permanent structure. However, the 

 temporary structure serves the purpose of the average grower, since it 

 may be put up on or near the cantaloupe field. The ideal packing shed 

 is one with a wide overlapping roof and with the sides open, but pro- 

 vided with curtains, which may be moved as desired to give protection 

 to the fruit from either sunshine or storm. The interior should be 

 roomy, allowing for shelter for the fruit as it is brought from the field, 

 and also for the storage of the packed crates until they are carried to 

 the shipping point. The size of the packing shed is determined by the 

 size of the crop and the number of persons employed in packing. The 

 shed should be placed as near the field as possible in order to prevent a 

 long haul. The placing of it near the farm buildings has advantages, 

 but, generally speaking, if placed near the field the grower is enabled to 

 keep in closer touch with his pickers and packers. 



The interior of the shed should be provided, on two sides, with a 

 packers' bench. The advantage of this is that the teams can unload 

 from the outside directly upon the benches and thereby save undue crowd- 



