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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



turity at which melons should be picked 

 for shipment. If allowed to become too 

 ripe before picking they become soft by 

 the time they reach the market and 

 often must be sacrificed in order to effect 

 an immediate sale. If picked too green 

 the melons reach market in firm condi- 

 tion, but are lacking in flavor, and are 

 not desired by the best trade. It is a 

 nice point to pick melons at ^ such a de- 

 gree of ripeness that they will reach the 

 market in firm condition, and yet pos- 

 sess the requisite flavor. , The farther 

 from market the melons are pro- 

 duced the less mature they must be 

 when picked. Furthermore, the rapidity 

 of softening after picking varies with 

 the temperature to which the melons are 

 subjected. The cooler they can be kept 

 after picking the longer they can be al- 

 lowed to remain on the vines and the 

 better flavor they will have. It is, there- 

 fore, essential that the melons be placed 

 in the shade as soon as possible after 

 picking and be kept shaded until they 

 are loaded into the car. For the same 

 reason riper melons can be shipped un- 

 der refrigeration than in ventilated cars. 

 It is also true that melons shipped dur- 

 ing excessively hot weather, unless under 

 refrigeration, will soften more rapidly 

 than those shipped during cooler 

 weather. The condition of the vines and 

 the rapidity of ripening of the melons in 

 the field will also have a bearing upon 

 the stage of maturity at which they 

 should be picked Early in the shipping 

 season, when the vines are in full vigor 

 and the melons ripening slowly, the 

 fruits may safely be left upon the vines 

 until more mature than would be safe 

 later in the season when the plants have 

 become somewhat weakened, or, by rea- 

 son of excessive heat, the melons are 

 ripening very rapidly. Melons should 

 not be picked at the same degree of ma- 

 turity under different conditions of ri- 

 pening, methods of transportation and 

 distances from market. 



While it is true that no rule can be 

 given for picking melons that will apply 

 under all conditions, and that the grower 

 must exercise judgment in reference to 



each day's picking, the ideal will be 

 attained when the conditions are such 

 that the melons will reach the market 

 in the best condition if picked as soon 

 as the fruit will part readily from the 

 stem when the latter is pressed with 

 the thumb or finger. There is a tendency 

 among some growers to pick consider- 

 ably before this point has been reached 

 in order to run no risk of the melons 

 becoming soft in transit. In fact, some 

 growers make a practice of picking the 

 melons before a crack appears about the 

 stem or any change of color takes place, 

 even on the under side of the fruit. 



Grading 



That proper grading results in the se- 

 curing of better prices than indiscrimi- 

 nate packing is evidenced by the ex- 

 perience of certain growers who have 

 departed from the usual custom and 

 practice a regular system of grading 

 whereby three distinct grades of mar- 

 ketable melons are made and shipped 

 under three different brands. Such a 

 system of grading and branding makes 

 it possible for the commission man to 

 place the different grades with the dif- 

 ferent classes of trade instead of being 

 obliged to sell the entire shipment as 

 ungraded stock to undiscriminating pur- 

 chasers. As a result the best grade often 

 brings double the price of ungraded 

 stock on the same market, while the 

 lowest grade usually sells for practically 

 the same as ungraded stock, so that the 

 excess in price received for the higher 

 grades is practically all clear gain as a 

 result of grading. 



The quality of a melon is the primary 

 factor which determines its grade, 

 though size and condition are also to be 

 considered. Extremely high quality and 

 uniformity in size and condition are 

 essential in the making of a fancy grade. 

 The size must also be normal and the 

 packing perfect. The No. 1 grade should 

 be of nearly as high quality ^s the fancy 

 grade, but may include odd sizes, though 

 the different specimens in a given pack- 

 age should be fairly uniform in size. 

 This grade may include melons too large 

 or too small for the fancy grade. The 



