HARVESTING AND MARKETING MELONS 59 



through the association, and the supplies are bought 

 in the same way at wholesale prices. 



The Extent of the Melon Business. — Few people 

 realize the extent of the melon business in the 

 United States as it is carried on today. The Thir- 

 teenth Census statistics, 1910, relating to truck and 

 market gardening crops are not available at this 

 writing, hence it is impossible to give the exact 

 acreage and yields of melons in the United States 

 for the past year, but according to the census of 

 1900, the acreage of muskmelons amounted to 60,- 

 854, and that of watermelons was 199,849, making 

 a total acreage of 260,703. It is safe to say that the 

 total acreage has increased at least 10 per cent dur- 

 ing the last decade, which would make the total 

 area at present cultivated in melons in the United 

 States 286,773 acres. 



The average yield of muskmelons ten years ago 

 was 2,350 per acre, and that of watermelons was 

 954. Assuming that the average yield has not de- 

 creased any in the meantime, the crop of 1910 would 

 be about as follows : 



Muskmelons 157,500,000 



Watermelons 209,500,000 



Total •' • • • 367.000,000 



This will give, according to the following table, 

 8,000 carloads of muskmelons and 200,000 carloads 

 of watermelons as one season's crop in the United 

 States, allowing 1,200 Climax baskets for an ordi- 

 nary carload of muskmelons. 



