The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-10
ONION CROP
PROFITABLE
Believed That the Texas Ber-
nuda Will Thrive in
Perdido County.


few weeks a movement towards an ex-
pertinent with what is known as the
Bermuda onion will be made by plant
ers In the Perdido country, as 1T is
believed that the Texas product will
thrive equally as well in the soil OF
the Perdido country as it does in
Texas.
The onion is one of the most produc-
i've of crops to be grown in the
south, netting from $500 to 500 per
acre. and if the experiments are sue
cessful 1t is probable that large
acreage will thereafter be planted.
1t IS stated that the Texas Bermuda
onion Is not only more productive, but
can be marketed to better advantage
than the native product. In regard to
onion growing In Texas, the following
from Laredo paper will prove of in
terest:
Laredo IS the center of the Ber-
muda onion industry in Texas. The
crop this year was about 800 cars
Of about $4,000 pounds TO the car. NOr
q total of 81. 800, 900 pounds Of onions.
The shipments from Laredo were more
than 500 cars. The total profits to
the growers exceed enc million dol
lars.
bermuda onion farming has
brOusalL .ArOrc w. ~ to -, .>-opIe OF
this border town during the last five
years than was ever derived from all
other crops combined during the pre-
ceeding 100 years. As a matter of
fact, there was very little farming
done around Laredo until the discov-
cry was made few years ago that
It was an Ideal place Tor raising Ber-
mnda onions.
r,inuoay. oniNu-o.rOvvkay. hQrn iC
J. @. Nye, who has made fortune out
of the business His success attracted
others and each year since he made
his first crop additional acreage has
been planted In onions until now most
of the irrigable land in the vicinity OF
Laredo Is devoted to the new industry.
The profits are enormous, so large,
IN fact, that it is hard to make unin-
formed people believe the stories told
of the rapid accumulation of wealth
from this source. There are a num-
Der OF instances of men who came
here three or four years ago with a
capital of a few hundred dollars and
who are now worth thousands. The
net profits to the acre run from $500
TO 500 a season.
"Mr. Nye kept an account OF the
crop on i've acres of his land for four
consecutive years. For the four years
on this five acres he gathered and
sold $9,312 worth of onions. Most of
his other land, did as well or better.
The yield on the five acres for the four
years is below the average.
1.-THE average yield of onions to the
acre In the Laredo territory this sea-
son was more than 10000 pounds. The
crop sold for from IL 60 3 cents a
pound.
1.-THE planting season is in October,
which is a delightful time OF the year
along the Rio Grande border. The
season for irrigating and cultivating
is during the winter months when
there is just enough cooaness in the air
TO make working out of doors a peas
ure. The harvesting time Is In the
spring when all nature is abloom.
sBy June 1 the crop is out of the
way. That leaves JRna Tniv, August
and September to the onion farmer
IN which to follow his own inclina-
fions as to pleasure or some other
business. Most of the men who have
made comfortable fortunes In raising
onions spend the vacation period of
four months at some northern resort
Bysdoing this they escape the enervat-
ing heat of this region in summer.
1.-THE reputation of the Texas Ber-
muda onion Is now well established in
the markets of this country. 1t is said
that they are superior to the native
grown product of Bermuda"