iMEKETING AXD DISTRIBUTIOlSr OF WESTERN MUSKMEL0N3. 17 

 Table 5. — Average cost of production per acre of mushnelons in the Iraperial Valley. 



Low. 



Average. 



High. 



Kent per acre $10. 00 



Plowing per acre (hired) 



Disking per acre I 



Leveling per aero | 



Seed (at Sl.25 per pound) 1. 90 



Planting (2 acres per day) ! 



Thinning and hoeing ; 



Cultivating (4 times) j 



Training vines out of furrows i 



Watering (about 15 times) through season, at 50 cents per acre-foot. } 1. 50 



S22. 50 

 3.00 

 .75 

 .50 

 2.00 

 1.13 

 2.25 

 3.00 

 1.00 

 2.00 



$40.00 



2.25 



Total. 



41. 88 



Yields are variable. One shipper controlling 722 acres in 1913 

 reports an average yield of 167 crates per acre at one shipping station 

 and of 222 crates at another. For 1914 the same shipper reports a 

 grand average of but 126 crates per acre on 562 ^ acres. General 

 opinion places 175 crates per acre as a good average yield, although 

 this is somewhat lower than the 1915 yield, which was 185 crates 

 per acre. On the basis of 175 crates per acre, the per-crate cost of 

 production is 23.9 cents. Further costs ai-e as follows: 



Table 6. — Total cost perr a'ate on hoard cars of mushnelons from the Imperial Valley. 



Picking and packing (by contract) $0. 20 



Crates, nails, and wrappers 20 



Hauling (average cost by contract) 045 



Shed fee , 01 



Total 455 



Growing cost 23'J 



Cost on board cars 694 



The average grower, therefore, must receive a return of approxi- 

 mately 70 cents per crate before he is repaid for his labor. 



Consuming Capacities of Markets. ' 



As a guide to consuming capacities of the various markets at prices 

 returning the grower his net cost of production. Table A (in envelope 

 at end of bulletin) is presented, showing the daily receipts of Imperial 

 Valley melons in all markets throughout the United States during 

 the past season and the average returns from such markets, net to 

 the grower, after commissions and charges are deducted. These 

 figures cover returns on every car sold by 11 of the 16 large shippers, 

 approximately 3,500 cars, or 75 per cent of the total shipments. 

 Every car sold in every market is not incduded, and cars arriving 

 in bad condition have been omitted, but there are a sufficiently 

 large number to form a good basis for calculation. 



In each case where it was available the average price for each sized 

 crate in each car has been taken and the various brands on one 

 52335°— Bull. 401—16 3 



