Development oe Rockyeord Cantaloupe Industry. 9 
being pooled, growers shipping at the same period will receive 
the same returns regardless of the conditions which their indi¬ 
vidual melons may encounter. Each plan has its advocates and 
on the whole both have given satisfactory results. 
Since the division of the big Association of 1898, most of the 
cantaloupes have been marketed through the organizations and 
commission men above mentioned, yet from time to time, other 
commission men have made efforts to gain a foot-hold with the 
growers. Taking advantage of low market conditions, they would 
report high returns and in this way a number of growers have 
been drawn from the Associations. One after another of these 
firms has come and gone, each time leaving a sadder but more 
experienced set of growers. 
The presence of these contending elements has in many cases 
hampered the results of the associations, causing unstable condi¬ 
tions. Thus, when the management insisted on the rules of the 
Association and the rigid inspection of cantaloupes necessary to 
the welfare of the industry, some over sensitive grower would 
“pull out” to the opposition who were ready and willing to re¬ 
ceive his cantaloupes regardless of condition. A number of in¬ 
stances have occurred when loads of green or otherwise unmar¬ 
ketable cantaloupes have been refused at the Association plat¬ 
form, only to be immediately driven over to the car of some con¬ 
tending commission firm, where a large sum would be paid for 
the first load with promise of still greater returns subsequently if 
sent on commission. The result of trusting these promises, has 
shown them to be but a bait. Again the constant canvassing by 
these commission agents has tended to increase the acreage of 
cantaloupes, although experience has shown the industry to be 
overdone nearly every year. 
Not only this, but the strife and competition have led to the 
shipping of green unmarketable melons in order to get the ad¬ 
vertising which comes from shipping the first basket or crate of 
Rockyfords. Thus, in 1894, one of the new commission firms paid 
$10 for a crate of green cantaloupes which were shipped a week 
before the first really ripe cantaloupes were ready to market. 
This shipping of green stock stimulated the practice in all 
of the Associations among impatient or inexperienced growers and 
resulted injuriously to the reputation of the Rocky ford cantaloupes 
and has been an outrage upon the people who bought the fruit. A 
cantaloupe which is not at a certain stage of ripeness when picked 
will never be fit to eat, but the inexperienced commission man rea¬ 
sons that because fruit such as lemons, bananas and tomatoes can 
be marketed quite green and still attain perfection, that the same 
can be done with cantaloupes. This is a fatal mistake—as well 
