MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF WESTERN MUSKMELONS. 37 
Table 17. — Market prices of Colorado and Turlock muskmelons in Chicago and New York. 
Date. 
Chicago. 
New York. 
California. 
Colorado. 
California. 
Colorado. 
Standards. 
Flats. 
Standards. 
Flats. 
Standards. 
Flats. 
Standards. 
Flats. 
i $3.50 
2. 50-3. 00 
2. 75-3.00 
3.50 
3. 75 
i 5.00 
4. 00-4. 50 
4.00 
3. 50-4. 00 
3. 50-4.00 
4. OOHl.50 
3. 00-4. 00 
2. 75-3. 25 
14.00 
2. 75-3. 50 
i 4.00 
3.00-3.25 
2.00-2.50 
i 3. 25 
1. 75-2. 50 
12.50-3.00 
i§1.25-1.50 
1.00-1.25 
1.00-1.25 
1.50 
1.50 
i 2.25 
1.50-1. 75 
1.50-1.75 
1.75 
1. 75-1. 85 
1.50-1.75 
1.00-1.50 
12.00-2. 25 
1.00-1.50 
i 2.00 
1.00-1.25 
1.00-1.15 
il.50-2.00 
SI. 25 
1.25-1.40 
9 
$2. 00-2. 25 
$0. 75-0. 85 
.80- .85 
$2. 25-2. 50 
2.50 
2.50 
3.00-3.25 
3.00 
3.00 
2. 75-3.00 
2. 25-2. 50 
1. 00-2. 00 
1.50-2. 00 
1.00-1.75 
1.00-1.50 
. 50-1. 25 
1.00-1.50 
12.00-2. 50 
$1.00-1.10 
.85-1.00 
2.35-1.00 
1.00 
1.25-1.40 
1.50 
1.15-1.25 
1. 15-1. 25 
1.00 
1.00 
.75- .85 
.65- .85 
.65- .75 
. 50- . 75 
. 65- . 75 
10 
11 
2.00 
2. 50 
2. 75-3.00 
2. 75-3.00 
2. 75-3. 00 
3.00-3.25 
3.00-3.25 
3.0(M.00 
3.00-3.25 
2.00-2. 25 
3.00-3.25 
2.25-2. 50 
S3. 50 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
"i."i5^i."25' 
1. 15-1. 30 
1. 25-1.40 
1.50-1.75 
'i'^-i'.sb' 
1.25 
4.00 
3. CKM.00 
2. 75-3. 00 
2. 00-2. 75 
2. 00-2. 50 
2.00-2.50 
1.60-2.00 
.75-1.25 
1.50-2.00 
1.65-1.75 
1.00-1.25 
3 1. 75 
* 1. 25-1. 50 
1. 25-1. 50 
1.00 
.75-1.25 
.50- .60 
.60- .80 
.65- .75 
.65- .85 
1 Fancy grade. 2 Green. 3 12's. * 15's. 
Dealers and consumers interviewed by representatives of the 
Office of Markets and Rural Organization stationed in the various 
markets reported that many of these green melons would not ripen, 
but rotted instead of maturing. Those which did appear to ripen 
merely became soft, but gained no flavor. 
Not all growers shipped immature goods, as a few brands and a 
few marks were of fairly good quality, and obtained somewhat better 
prices. But such a large percentage of unsatisfactory stock was 
shipped that the whole market was injured, and consumption of 
Colorado melons dropped so low that even the best brands did not 
bring satisfactory prices. While it is true that prices naturally would 
have declined somewhat with the colder weather toward the end of 
the season, the main reason for the generally poor returns was the 
shipment of green melons. 
Grading, Packing, and Wrapping. 
Grading and packing usually are done in sheds in, or close to, the 
fields, the melons generally being sorted for grade but not for size 
before going to the packer. The packers size the melons during the 
packing operation. No wrappers are used on green-meated melons, 
but all pink-meated ones are wrapped. 
