MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF WESTERN MUSKMELONS. 13 
Proper maturity. — The picking of the melons at the proper stage 
of maturity 1 is important in securing good eating quality. The 
necessity of allowing melons to mature properly can not be empha- 
sized too strongly, as the shipping of green melons is probably the 
quickest way in which to ruin the demand in all markets. Distribu- 
tors seem to recognize the importance of good eating quality more 
keenly than do the growers, and have tried to insist on the inspection 
of melons before shipment and the rejection of all immature stock. 
Shippers and growers must cooperate if the green melon is to be 
eliminated from the market. 
Inspection. 
Before the 1915 season it had been customary to make all inspec- 
tions on a sorting platform before loading the crates into cars. It 
is very difficult, and often impossible, to make a thorough inspection 
after muskmelons are packed, especially if the melons are wrapped, 
as the majority are in the Imperial Valley. 
During the 1915 season certain distributors established a field- 
inspection system, either as a substitute for or in addition to the 
platform inspection. Competent, experienced inspectors in the field, 
keeping a watch over and advising pickers as to the proper stage of 
maturity and keeping an oversight on packing, have been a great 
help in the production of better grades. Such field inspection can 
prevent the improper picking and packing of stock instead of merely 
rejecting such stock after it is packed, as is the custom with platform 
inspection. 
Packing. 
Imperial Valley growers can also improve their quality by provid- 
ing proper packing facilities. 1 Many of the packing sheds are of the 
crudest sort, having rough wooden sorting bins, with no padding, 
into which melons are tossed, sometimes from a considerable distance. 
Padded or canvas-bottomed bins should be provided and melons 
should be placed in them carefully and not thrown. 
Importance op Quick Handling. 
In an extremely hot climate, like that of the Imperial Valley, where 
the daily maximum temperature usually exceeds 100° F., musk- 
melons ripen rapidly between the time they are picked and the 
time they are placed under ice. Undue delay in placing them under 
ice at the shipping point probably is the most frequent cause of soft 
and overripe melons on the market. The shorter the time between 
picking and actually placing the muskmelons under refrigeration, 
the more mature the} 7 may be allowed to become on the vine. Under 
1 See Farmers' Bulletin 707. 
