UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 315 



^ SHa ^V^^ Contribution from Office of Markets and Rural Organization, ^■"Lyi 

 ^S^^^U CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief JVfwl. 



Washington, D. C. A October 23, 1915 



CANTALOUPE MARKETING IN THE LARGER CITIES, 

 WITH CAR-LOT SUPPLY, 1914. 



By Wells A. Sherman, Specialist in Market Surveys; A. Dexter Gail, Jr., Assistant 

 in Market Surveys, and Faith L. Yeaw, Laboratory Aid. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

 Introduction 1 



Extent of investigations 1 



Systems of distribution within cities 2 



Factors which influence prices 3 



Some trade factors influencing the marketing 



of cantaloupes 11 



Cantaloupe shipments in 1914 15 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the market survey work carried on by the Office of Markets and 

 Rural Organization considerable attention has been given to the 

 marketing of cantaloupes. During the summer of 1914 a study was 

 made in a number of the larger markets of the East and Middle West 

 in an effort to determine the factors that underlie the successful 

 handling and marketing of this crop. 



The 1914 season was a very disastrous one to practically all canta- 

 loupe-shipping sections, and, while the marketing difficulties encoun- 

 tered were, in most cases, the same as in former years, they were 

 ;t<'cntuated greatly by unusual conditions surrounding crop produc- 

 tion and consumptive demand. 



EXTENT OF INVESTIGATIONS. 



To secure comprehensive data, representatives of the office 1 were 

 located for various lengths of time in Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, 

 Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St. Paul, New Haven, Cambridge, Hartford, 

 ;iinl Kansas City. In addition, general information was secured in 

 Buffalo ;hkI Minneapolis. 



''I'" i carried on by tho following marl:cl, reporters .1. VV. Kislior, Jr., J. H. Collins, It. 



•i i -• f «- r on, <;. p, Worber, Grafton L, Wilson, Jo eph w. McNaugher, and M. M. Stewart 



iih bulletin should in- of general Interest to cantaloupe growers, shippers, dealer::, and con- 

 ■tuners, end to tran tportation companic . 



7711/ Hull. 315—16 1 



