38 lU'LLETix 85 — Cantaloupes 



Caxtaloupes The cantaloupe crop is the most important of what 

 might be termed the "speculative" crops of the Salt River Valley. 

 Practically all of the crop is produced in fairly restricted areas around 

 Glendale. Mesa. Phoenix and Chandler. The industry started in a 

 small way in igo8 and has maintained a fairly steady growth to the 

 present time, although there have been some intervening years when 

 the acreage was small. In 1916 the total commercial acreage was 

 about 2,000 acres. In 191 7 about 3,100 to 3,200 acres were planted to 

 cantaloupes, but the area from which marketable melons were actually 

 harvested did not exceed about 2,800 acres. Cantaloupe growing in this 

 Valley, as in all similar districts of the West, is a very specialized 

 form of agriculture. Practically all of the crop is grown under con- 

 tracts executed between growers and eastern commission houses. 

 About 6 or 8 cars were handled independently l^y local firms in the 

 Salt River Valley, while an inconsiderable acreage furnished melons 

 for local consumption. One or two inexperienced growers attempted 

 independent growing of cantaloupes in 191 7 and having neglected to 

 provide marketing facilities, found themselves unable to sell their 

 melons for prices which would pay for the expenses of harvesting. 

 The contract referred to is essentially the same as that in vogue in 

 other cantaloupe districts in the West. The provisions of these con- 

 tracts have already been discussed in considerable detail in publications 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture.^ 



They provide for the furnishing of seed and crate material by the 

 distributor at specified prices to the grower, for cash advances to the 

 grower through the growing season and at harvest time, and stipulat-e 

 that for service rendered the distributor shall receive a commission of 

 15 per cent of the gross sales. The practice of making liberal cash 

 advances to growers throughout the growing season is gradually being 

 eliminated. Some of the distributors each year have been lowering 

 the usual cash advances, while in 191 7 one of the large distributor^ 

 made no cash advances whatever, although customary advances of seed 

 and crate material were made as formerly. 



All melons are packed on the farm in field packing sheds. The 

 standard crate, containing 45 melons, the pony crate, containing 54 

 melons, the standard flat crate, containing 12 or 15 melons, and the 

 jumbo flat crate, designed to care for larger melons, are the chief 



1 See Schleu.ssner, O. W., and Kitchen, C. W., Marketing and Distribution 

 of Western Miiskmelons in 1915. TT. S Department ot Agriculture Bulletin 

 401 



