FORTIETH ANNUAL REPORT. 95 



the same way. The spaces between the joists overhead are packed with 

 shavings and floor laid and two to three feet of shavings are placed on 

 the attic floor and this attic is ventilated with windows at ends and 

 seven ventilators 4x4 feet and G feet high. It has never frozen in the 

 apple rooms in Avinter and when there is ice overhead the temperatnre 

 in tlie rooms in warm weather is about 40'' which will keep apples until 

 s]aing if they are in good condition when jmt in. We store all our 

 apples in crates and our rooms will hold about five thousand crates. 

 There are no windows in the apple rooms and we use lanterns for 

 light. We use a truck that will carry IS crates. For size and arrange- 

 ment of rooms see diagram. This building cost us about |6,000,00. It 

 has given good results; but on account of using such a large amount 

 of lumber it has cost too much. Where gravel is handy I believe ce- 

 ment blocks or hollow cement walls might be cheaper. 



Yours truly, 



CHAS. W. WILDE. 



GROWING OF CANTALOUPES. 



(PAUL ROSE, SOUTH FRANKFORT.) 



Mr. President,— Ladies and Gentlemen: I believe this subject is of 

 great interest to the people of Benton Harbor because it is something 

 that can re-enforce and support a man who is trying to start some- 

 thing new as a side line. I may go farther and say that I think it is 

 the very best thing that one can engage in in a section where the canta- 

 loupe will grow and flourish and right here I want to say also that I 

 can see no reason why cantaloupes should not be raised around Benton 

 Harbor as well as anywhere else and so I hope to hear of a large number 

 of farmers in this section who will take this up and make a success of it. 

 Of course there are a good many things to learn as there is of any 

 new thing but by your own experience and that of those who have made 

 a success of the work you can succeed all right. 



I have had some experience in raising cantaloupes; indeed it has 

 been a part of my life work in a large and small way and in acreages 

 varying from a few acres to a large tract and also in different parts of 

 the United States. Oalifornia, Texas, Arizona, Tennessee and other 

 states and as my experience has been varied I am glad to pass it on to 

 those who are interested. 



I have never raised cantaloupes from field planting. I first start them 

 under glass. I began in this work along back in 1870 and have enlarged 

 and improved and added new features until now it seems to me that the 

 limit has been reached in regard to the methods, etc., of growing this 

 product. 



All you want to know is how you can grow cantaloupes so as to make 

 a success. The first consideration is the soil. You want a level, warm 

 dry soil, very loose and rich, a good productive land. There are hard 

 clay lands that will grow good cantaloupes but it is not advisable to 



