Mabketing and disteibution of WESTEEIS" muskmelons. 11 



large cavity. The cavity of the Early Waters was so large as to have 

 a decided effect on the average weight per crate. The figures shown 

 in Table 3 were furnished by the official weighing bureau of the South- 

 ern Pacific Co., and represent the average weight per crate of the 

 entire shipments of various distributors taken on the days mdicated. 

 While some of the differences in weights are due to the varying 

 skill of diff'erent packers, the results taken as a whole indicate quite 

 clearly that the Early Waters is not as solid or heavy a melon as the 

 other varieties. Sales in the market show that it is regarded as 

 decidedly inferior to other melons from this district. 



Table 3. — Average weight per crate of certain shipments of mushvielons from the Imperial 



Valley. 



Variety. 



All Eden Gems 



Do 



Mostly Eden Gems 



All Ecien Gems 



All Eden Gems and Pollock.. . 



AJlEden Gems 



Eden Gem.s and Early Waters 



Mostly 'Early Waters 



Early" Waters and Eden Gems 



Mostly Early Waters 



Do 



Dates. 



Standard. 



Pony. 



1915. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



June 8-15 



69.00 



60. 70 



June 10 

 June 7, 10 







66.20 



59.00 



June 8, 15 



66.00 



57.30 



June 7 



66.00 



57.95 



June 7, 8 



65.64 



57.26 



June 7,8 



65.00 



58.00 



June 7 



64.83 



55.64 



Jime 10,11 



64.66 



55.76 



June 7 



64.47 



57.8 



June 11 



64.30 



55.38 



Pounds. 

 28.45 

 29.90 

 26.65 



25.5' 



27.8 

 28.50 



Percentage of ponies. — Because of generally unprofitable returns 

 from ponies, good marketing practice makes it desirable to reduce 

 their number as much as possible. The proportion of ponies to 

 standards depends on the fertility of the land, the care taken in 

 growing, and the variety. The Early Waters produced a higher 

 percentage of ponies than any other variety largely grown in 1915. 



Because of conditions not entirely understood, the proportion 

 of ponies in the entire crop of 1915 was excessive, amounting to 

 74.7 per cent of the total number of crates shipped, according to 

 actual count made on June 3, 4, and 5. After this date many of 

 the pony melons were not packed. 



As every pony-sized melon lost is an economic waste, an excess 

 should not be produced. That the proportion of ponies to standards 

 can be controlk^d to some extent by the variety j^lanted is indicated 

 by the figures in Table 4, showing the percentage of ponies to stand- 

 ards shipped on certain days. Shippers A, B, and C were shipping 

 only Eden Gem melons, while the others were shipping varying 

 proportions of Early Waters. The Eden Gem produced at least 

 50 per cent or more of standards, while shipper K, who had a very 

 large percentage of Early Waters, could s(^cur(^ only 13 per cent of 

 standards. 



