Development op Rockypord Cantaloupe Industry. 
i5 
The adoption of the standard crate and the co-operative idea of some 
of the growers, made possible the wider development of the cantaloupe 
market throughout the United States. 
The subsequent organization of the growers to provide a satisfactory- 
market for their cantaloupes was a wise step. 
The season of 1898 was a disastrous one. The elements leading to 
this failure being, poor quality, a partial failure in refrigeration, over¬ 
production, and . the fact that a large proportion of the men handling 
the cantaloupes in the East, had but little experience or knowledge of the 
product, and the proper method of handling on the market. 
Believing my experience with the Rockyford cantaloupe in Colorado 
would be useful to myself and the industry, and the industry having now 
become national rather than local, in 1899, I contracted to handle on 
a commission basis the cantaloupes of the Kouns Party on the Eastern 
market. 
I went to New York to thoroughly study the conditions in the East, 
and to discover what improvements could be made in the distribution 
and handling of the cantaloupes on the Eastern market, also the neces¬ 
sities for their proper transportation and refrigeration. 
From my experience and observation that year, I decided that Chi¬ 
cago was the best point from which to distribute the product. 
Chicago was not only one of the largest cities in the country, but 
it was on the only line of railroad running through the cantaloupe belt of 
Colorado, although as yet Chicago consumed but very few Rockyford 
cantaloupes. 
Accordingly in 1900 I located in Chicago continuing my contract with 
the Kouns Party and other Associations in the Rockyford country. 
My long experience in the business, enabled me to secure good re¬ 
sponsible parties in all the leading cities of the country to handle these 
cantaloupes for me. In the Chicago office, I was in daily touch by wire 
with all these agents, also, with the conditions of the cars in transit. These 
were inspected at the Missouri River and again at Chicago and forwarded 
to the different markets according to their condition, only the firmest and 
best stock being allowed to continue on the long journey to the seaboard. 
It has taken 'since 1899 to build up this system and secure agents 
who can always be relied on to give attention 'to the business at the 
proper time. 
The average price paid to the grower gradually increased from 1899 
to 1903, averaging about a dollar per crate for the period of five years. 
The increase in price had two results which led to the almost complete 
failure of 1904: 1st the profits to the grower during the period of pros¬ 
perity led to more extensive planting, resulting in over-production; 2d, 
the profits to the distributors during the same period, led new men with¬ 
out a comprehensive knowledge to go into the field and contract as dis¬ 
tributors; this increased competition, led to the placing of many inferior 
melons which otherwise would not have been shipped, thus further over¬ 
crowding the markets and lowering the price below the point of profit¬ 
able production, and in the case of some firms at an actual loss to the 
grower. 
The poor results of 1904 materially decreased the acreage for 1905 
and caused a much larger proportion of the melons to be handled by 
experienced distributors, so that the results to the grower were again 
satisfactory, reaching the highest average paid the grower in the his¬ 
tory of the melon industry in Colorado. 
To sum up the situation: The successful distributor must thoroughly 
know the source of supply; understand the handling of the melons from 
the field to the car, also the loading and cooling of cars, the proper re¬ 
frigeration, the conditions and requirements of the different markets, 
and must have capable and experienced agents to handle the melons in 
the different cities of the country. 
These, together with the support of an organization of growers, 
