Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-08
SPANISH
ONION WILL BE
A WINNER
BIG DEMAND FOR THE
BULBlN EASTERN MARKETS
Half Acre Plat at Agricultural!
College Station Earned on
Basis of $500 Per Acre Net
Potato Experiments.

Professor Fabian Garcia. norllcul-
trail expert at the New Mexico Agri-
cultural college experiment station
spent Yesterday in Albuquerque in
consultation with local men on the
possibilities of Irish potato growing in
this section Of the Rio Grandc val
ley. He left last night for Cimarron
where he will spend several days
looking over some extensive orchards
which are to be planted by Mr.. Geo
n. Webster and associates who are
Just completing an important private
irrigation project near that place.
Professor Garcia, who is one of the
veterans of the station and who is now
recognized as one OK the foremost ex-
perts in southwestern horticulture
and truck farming, is very enthusiastic
over the outlook for the Spanish or
DANA onion as a money making farm
product for this valley.
The station was given considerable
attention during the past five years
to extensive experiments with onion
culture, seeking to try out all known
varieties with a view to finding those
best suited to our conditions. Some
years ago a bulletin on onion culture
was published, dealing chiefly with
the methods of growing the plant. A
new bulletin will Don be from the
press giving the results of the five
years of experimental work and in this
bulletin the Spanish onion will take a
prominent place.
"At the close of the last season, y
said Prof. Garcia, 1--WE shipped from
the station the product of half an
aero which had had special attention.
These were carefully selected and
packed in crates made especially for
the purpose in Albuquerque; packed
sc as to market upon The same basis
as those shipped into the United states
by shipluads from DAMN and Valencia.
Spain, each october and for which
there is a heavy demand. So far as
We know these were the first Spanish
onions ever marketed from an Amcrt-
can farm. They found a very ready
market in Chicago and after paying
ali expenses for culture, carets, pack
ing. freight and other charges. which
naturally were heavy because it was
an experimental shipment, we had a
net profit Of $3.50 from the half acre.
This would mean n net profit Of $500
an acre and Of course in growing the
onions on a large scale the cost of
production. shipping and handling
would be much reduced. The onion
may be made 10 produce $4,000 pounds
to the acre with ordinary care and
- - - 80
produce us high as $1,000 pounds and
we can see no reasOn in view Of the
extensive demand why his onion
should not prove q money maker for
Rio Grandc valley farmers. We inn
ported the seed for cur planting di-
rect from Spain and several farmers
in the valley around Las Cruces had
determined to plant plats this coming
season cut unfortunately there has
been difficulty in obtaining the seed
and it is doubtful whether the plant
ing can be made this Year. 1t win be
attempted, however. the following
The onion is in every respect
tine equal of the Bermuda and is prob
ably only slightly different from the
Gibraltar, which it resembles
every form. The Dania onions are
to this country from Spain
In large quantities the shipments usu-
ally arriving in October. Our crop
could be marketed in September Civ
ing it the advantage of Il iree mar
ket. There should he little difficulty
i'm finding an adequate market for all
REQUIRES careful methods Of cultiva-
lion and the farmer to succeed must
be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS with the work.
This. however. is more a matter of
and attention than of scientific
knowledge. The onion is not a keen
onion; while it viii stand and
ling and shipping without storage it
probably would not stand III more
than two months. This however, is
adequate time for marketing.