UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 401 
Contribution from the Office of Markets and Rural Organization 
CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
October 31, 1916 
MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF WESTERN 
MUSKMELONS 1 IN 1915. 
By O. W. Schleussner, Assistant in Market Surveys, and C. W. Kitchen, Market 
Station Assistant. 
CONTENTS. 
Introduction 1 
Imperial Valley district, California 2 
History 2 
Marketing arrangements 3 
Possibilities of cooperation 8 
Quality 8 
Distribution 16 
Salt River Valley district, Arizona 22 
History 22 
Marketing arrangements 23 
Possibttities of cooperation 21 
Quality 24 
Distribution 2G 
Moapa district, Nevada 28 
History 28 
Page. 
Moapa district, Nevada— Continued. 
Marketing arrangements 29 
Quality 28 
Distribution 29 
Turlock district, California 29 
History 29 
Marketing arrangements 36 
Quality 36 
Distribution 31 
Colorado district 31 
History 31 
Marketing arrangements 32 
Cooperation 35 
Quality 35 
Distribution 38 
INTRODUCTION. 
During the season of 1914 the Department of Agriculture received 
a great many complaints from growers in the United States with 
reference to glutted markets and ruinous returns to all engaged in 
the muskmelon industry. The Office of Markets and Rural Organ- 
ization responded to the calls for assistance by sending special inves- 
tigators to certain melon-growing sections, for the purpose of making 
a study of marketing conditions, and the investigators of the office 
1 Although the term "cantaloupe" is in wide commercial use in the United States at the present time^, 
particularly in the irrigated districts of the West, the name belongs to a distinct botanical variety of this 
species and is restricted to that variety in commercial use in countries outside of the United States. The 
term "muskmelon," therefore, is used in this bulletin in conformity with the language of Food Inspection 
Decision No. 166, issued by the Department of Agriculture March 29, 1916. 
Note. — This bulletin is of interest to muskmelon growers in the West, shippers, dealers, transportation 
companies, and consumers, and to all engaged in the trade. 
52335°— Bull. 401—16 1 
