Development of the Rockyford Cantaloupe 
' Industry. 
Philo K. Blinn. 
HARDY HISTORY. 
Rockyford Netted Gem Cantaloupes have been produced in 
the vicinity of Rockyford for about twenty years, while other va¬ 
rieties of cantaloupes or muskmelons are reported as having been 
grown at an earlier period by the first settlers along the valley. 
The honor of growing the first Rockyford cantaloupes for 
market is accredited to Mr. J. W. Eastwood now a resident of 
Phoenix, Ariz. The same season Mr. J. E. Gauger, a few miles 
west of La Junta also grew a small patch of the Netted Gems 
from seed secured from Mr. W. Atlee Burpee who introduced the 
Variety in 1881. 
Mr. Eastwood relates the beginning of the industry in the 
following narrative: 
I removed from Denver to Rockyford in November, 1884, and as I 
had previously been growing the Netted Gem cantaloupes, I determined to 
try them there. Accordingly the following spring, I planted about one- 
half acre, and so far as I know, this was the first of this variety grown 
at Rockyford. Mr. G. W. Swink was growing a larger variety, but after 
making several close inspections of the Netted Gems as he saw them grow¬ 
ing during the season, said he was convinced that they were the canta¬ 
loupes to grow. 
He selected a dozen or so for seed which were the first of this variety 
in Rockyford to be saved for seed. I secured my seed either through Mi*. 
Henry Lee of Denver or Mr. Burpee of Philadelphia. 
At that time no thought was given to the improvement of the parent 
stock, from which such marked results have since been attained. 
I do not now remember the amount of cash received from the product 
of this half acre. I shipped the melons mostly to Mr. Woodruff, a com¬ 
mission merchant of Leadville, who sold them for 10 cents per pound, which 
would be equal to about $6.50 per crate. 
As the patch yielded well and the melons sold so readily, I wished 
before the season closed that I had planted several half acres, but dur¬ 
ing the seven years in which I grew cantaloupes at Rockyford, I rarely 
exceeded five acres each year. After the first two or three years a num¬ 
ber of other farmers began growing cantaloupes. 
In those early years the market was not crowded and by culling closely 
a good sale was realized for what was shipped. The cantaloupes were 
gathered in sacks and packed and shipped in barrels and boxes, and as 
the market was then principally in Colorado towns, the “empties” were re¬ 
turned to the growers. We had not thought of shipping in car lots, although 
watermelons were already being shipped in that way; sometimes straw 
was placed on top of the water melons and cantaloupes were added to the 
car. 
We had no thought of co-operative organization as yet, but each sue- 
