Development of Rockyeord Cantaloupe Industry. 
17 
properly iced in accordance with instructions. These require that 
the ice shall not be in chunks larger than 50 pounds and that the 
bunkers shall be filled to full capacity at each icing station. There 
is no salt used but the ice is properly packed into the bunkers. 
Argentine is a diversion point for most of the receivers and 
each has a representative to inspect the condition of the canta¬ 
loupes as well as the ice in the bunkers. On the report of the 
inspectors at Argentine is determined the diversion to long or 
short-haul points. The run from Argentine to Chicago is 30 hours. 
Cars are re-iced at Corwith, the outer yard of the S. F. R. R. 
at Chicago, and usually require from 2,500-3,000 pounds of ice. 
Full record of the movement of all cars is kept by the S. F. 
R. R. Co., being received by wire from La Junta, Dodge City, 
Newton and Argentine. Diversions may be accomplished at any 
point from the line of the S. F. R. R. on very short notice, by 
reason of this accurate record. Some through cars for the East¬ 
ern markets do not pass through Chicago but are given to the I. I. 
& I. R. R. or some other outer belt line which delivers to the East¬ 
ern connections without passing through Chicago, but on account 
of the advantage of inspecting cars at Corwith, it has been deemed 
advisible in late years to have all cars pass through Chicago. The 
melon train usually arrives at Corwith between 5 and 6 p. m., leav¬ 
ing ample time to re-ice cars and make Eastern connections. 
The Bohn patent refrigerator car is used by the S. F. R. R. 
Co. giving more satisfactory refrigeration than the old style for 
the reason that the ice tanks are not covered but separated by a 
grating only, thus allowing the cold to permeate the car, and in 
this manner the car receives the full advantage of the ice. 
In former years, cantaloupe cars were not iced prior to load¬ 
ing and then re-iced immediately after loading. The custom was 
to ice cars at La Junta, send them down to loading stations and 
not re-ice until cars reached Argentine. By that time the ice in 
the bunkers was practically exhausted, the melons ruined, and all 
the ice which could be put in the bnnkers could not restore the 
damage to the melons. The striking contrast of the present sys¬ 
tem of re-icing the cars immediately after loading and keeping the 
bunkers well filled to destination, uniformly brings the cars to des¬ 
tination in first class condition and claims for damages are reduced 
to the minimum. 
The time consumed in transporting cars from Chicago to New 
York is about 60 hours, and from Chicago to Boston about 84 
hours. When cantaloupes are in good condition when picked and 
are loaded properly, the cars well iced and transported without 
unnecessary delay, they should arrive even on the Atlantic sea¬ 
board, in practically as good condition as when shipped. 
