St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-07-24
IS "ONION QOEl.9
-
HOW MRS Il. G. DODD OF LA.
REDO, TEX, is GROWING
RICH,
fsUss Average Return Vas S625 an Acre On
g5 Acres Cultivated. Modern Methods
that Bring Astonishing Results.

Laredo, Tex.-What do you thinl
# a net profit of $500 an acre from
Bermuda onions? This is the record
# Mrs. EdWartz C. Dodd of Laredo
whom the people of this section cal
5he Onion Queen" She grows more
Bermuda onions than any woman in
5be w0rld-l35 acres-and is getting
rich at it.
Mrs. Dodd's crop this year was not
extraordinary. Most Of the other
onion growers in the Laredo section
did as well, but none of them had in
as much acreage as she had. This
fact brought her profits up to a fig
ure that is astonishing to the ordinary
farmer who is content With a profit
Of SIS to $50 an acre upon his land.
The average net yield which Mrs.
Dodd obtained upon her 1876 acres
was about $500 an acre. The gross
revenue from the farm was about
1925 an acre. Growing onions is ex-
~pensive. 1t cost an average of about
1925 an acre to plant, cultivate, har-
vest and market the crop.
Mrs. Dodd is not a book farmer"
She directs the m~ultitudious affairs
of her place in person. She has
capable men who look after the de-
tails, and every part Of the business
receives her closest supervision. Her
farm embraces 600 acres, but only
200 acres are under irrigation. In
beginning onion growing she knew
exactly what to do, because the posi-
bilities of the business had been
proved by others. Being a widow
with only the land to depend upon,
she determined to make it profitable,
and she did. A small part Of the
land was under irrigation, the water
being taken from the Rio Grande by
means of a steam pump.
First Mrs. Dodd enlarged the ir-
tract to 70 acres, all Of which
she planted in Bermuda onions. That
was three years ago. Conditions
were favorable, and despite the many
difficulties that had to be overcome,
she marketed the onion crop upon
the 10 acres at a net profit Of $23,
600. Then she built an electric
pumping station and put in a pump
a capacity Of $500 gallons a
minute. Beside the 1876 acres Of
onions Mrs. Dodd this season had
about 60 acres in grain, feed and a.
of products. Besides furnish
ing water for this 200 acres of her
own, her electric pumping plant and
of irrigation provided water
FOR SO additional acres, which are
owned by other persons, a good re-
7enue being received for this extra
service.
Mrs. Dodd has been doing the mar
Of her crops through an as
ISOLATION Of growers, but she is not
satisfied with this plan.
4 is her opinion, after a thorough
Investigation Of the subject that she
sould do her own marketing TO a bet
;er advantage than through the sales
nen Of the association. She says
hat the commission and other
association charges during the past
Ieason amounted to ten cents a crate
# SO pounds. Her expenses from
his one item alone ran up to more
han $1,000.
The fact that she makes an annual
lroft of her farm much larger than
he salary Of most bank presidents
las not caused Mrs. Dodd to adopt
xtravagant living. She has a pretty
iome in town. It is comfortably but
.ot luxuriously furnished. She finds
outside Of her farm work to get
much enjoyment out Of social pleas
res. She has been q social favorite
Laredo, San Antonio and other
iexas cities for many years. The
MON growing season is during the
and cooler periods Of fall and
This leaves the Warmest
of summer for rest and recu-
GRAFTON.
Before her marriage Mrs. Dodd was
school teacher. She has found that
or training in the schoolroom is Of
luch value to her in directing the
rork upon the farm. She makes it a
ONT to investigate thoroughly every
base of the business, and to adopt
he most improved methods Of cult
sting and handling the crop. She :
the analysis Of the soil on diff !
aren't parts Of the farm; she has ex-
with many other kinds Of
roducts besides onions, and knows \
ist what can be grown successfully
pom the farm, and she knows APP
roximately the cost by the acre of I
lltivating all the kinds Of crops to !
hich the farm is adapted. 8
WITHOUT PICTURES !