2 
BULLETIN 401, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
located in the large markets were instructed to give particular atten- 
tion to muskmelons. The results of these studies have been made 
public. 1 
These studies were continued in 1915 in connection with an ex- 
perimental market news service which was conducted for straw- 
berries, tomatoes, muskmelons, and peaches. An intensive study of 
the most important melon-producing districts of the United States 
was made, and, as growers in the irrigated districts of the West 
suffered especially from the disastrous markets of 1914, special at- 
tention was given to these regions. In addition to market reporters 
covering the large cities during the muskmelon season, field repre- 
sentatives were stationed in the Imperial Valley district of Califor- 
nia, the Salt River Valley district of Arizona, and the Rocky Ford 
district of Colorado during the entire shipping season. In addition, 
the Moapa section of Nevada and the Turlock district of California 
were visited by one of the authors during the shipping season. 
IMPERIAL VALLEY DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA. 
HISTORY. 
The Imperial Valley is the earliest and probably the most impor- 
tant muskmelon-growing district in the United States to-day. The 
growth in production since 1905 has been remarkable, the increase 
being very close to 1,600 per cent in the 10 years since that time. 
The following table shows the total shipments per year from 1905 
to 1915: 
Table 1. — Total shipments of mushnelons from Imperial Valley, 1905-1915. 
Carloads. ' Carloads. 
1905 297 j 1909 1,411 
1906 577 | 1910. 1,621 
1907 644 ! 1911 2,580 
1908 1.891 I 1912 2,887 
Carloads. 
1913 ;.. 3,502 
1914 4.448 
1915 4,722 
During the season of 1915, 8,156 acres were planted to muskmelons. 
A portion of this area was abandoned or did not produce a good 
crop. However, the average yield of 185 crates of marketable melons 
per acre, making a total for the section of 4,722 cars of 320 crates 
each, shows the ability of this valley to produce abundant crops of 
muskmelons. The early and prolonged shipping season, extending 
from May 25 to July 21 in 1915, gave the valley a very considerable 
advantage in disposing of the crop. 
The melons produced are largely of the green-meat ed (also called 
white-meated) varieties, the Early Waters and Eden Gem predom- 
inating. A few ''pink meats," or Burrell Gems, are grown, but do 
1 See Gail, A. D., Sherman, W. A., and Yeav, F. L. "Cantaloupe marketing in the larger cities with 
car-lot supply, 1914." U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bui. 315, 1915; and More, C. T., and Branch, G. V. "The 
commercial grading, packing, and shipping of cantaloupes." U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Farmers' Bui. 
707, 1916. 
