Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-02
WENTzFARMS
SHOW PROFIT
each SEASON
Vegetables and Cotton
Profitable Crops for
Is Consecutive Years
In Valley

Thirteen years in the Valley, a
profitable crop produced every year,
and his land holdings increased from
l60 acres 10 1900 acres, is the rec
ord Of c. c. Wentz, San Benito resi-
dent.
Mr.. Wentz owns farms near
Brownsville, Los Indios, Mercedes
and Lyford. He has acquired Ine
land gradually and never sold an
acre Of land he has purchased.
THE Lower Rio Grande Valley is
the finest agricultural country on
EARTH" Mr.. Wentz said. "There rs
never been a year during the rrIr-
teen | have been farming in the Val
ley that my farming operations have
not shown a profit. Some years the
! profit was large: other years IL
would be small. Taken over a period
OF years / do not believe there is
any land in the United States that
will show n better average profit.p
Mr.. Wentz came 10 the Valley in
1914, and had sufficient funds tc
make the first payment on 100 acres
Of river land near the Mercedes
pump. Year after yea his holdings
have grown. lie became interested
in potato raising II the Brownsville
section and bought a large farm
several miles southeast Of Browns
vile, rich river land which produces
potatoes of the finest quality. He
secured another LARGE acreage OF land
7 near Los Indios, and also has large
holdings in the unirriGated section
near Lyford.
ats hard 70 say which Is the best
land" Mr.. Vent said. Every acre
Of it is good; SO good that ! would
not consider selling il. II produces p
profit every year. and il takes real
land to do that"
Vegetables ard Cotton
Practically every acre 81 the
Wentz holdings is under cultivation.
ard probably produces more winter
vegetables than the acreage OF any
one individual in the Valiev. Large
acreages are also planted to cotton.
ard much Of the land produces two
cI ops per year.
Keep the land working" is Mr..
VENTS motto, and he proceeds to
carry il into effect every year
Potatoes, tomatoes, beans, beets
and carrots are the big money max
ers for the Valley farmers, is Mr..
VENTS conclusion after thirteen
years Of experience. "They do not
always bring a big profit, but taken
over a period OF years they show
a very substantial average profit,
Mr.. Wentz said. ~ believe in di-
v~ersifying. as almost invariably some
of the commodities will strike an
exceptionally high market, thereby
increasing the average profit on the
years production"
Approximately 225 acres will be
Planted TO tomatoes this year, and
he is roT marketing $50 acres Of
beets and carrots. About $50 acres
have been planted 10 potatoes. and
other vegetable crops will include
beans. onions, and watermelons. He
makes IL a rule 60 devote approx
rately so acres to miscellaneous
vegetables. including peppers. okra,
black-eyed peas, green corn. etc.
Plants 5000 Bushels Potatoes
Potato planting on the Wentz
farm below Brownsville has beer
completed, approximately 5000 bush
els Of seed potatoes having been
used to plant around 125 acres. On
this farm he will also have 65 acres
o. beans, both of these crops having
proved prolific producers on the
river land.
On his Los Indios farm south Of
Son Benito Mr.. Wentz will plant 100
acres to beans, 150 acres to toma-
toes and so acres to miscellaneous
vegetables. Over ESQ acres are
planted to beets and carrots on his
farm south of Mercedes. Forty acres
OF onions have been planted on his
Willacy county farm near Lyford
and 40 acres will produce water
melons. Approximately 500 acres
will be planted to cotton, including
900 acres from which the vegetable
crop will be harvested before the
close Of the cotton planting season.
Practically all the Wentz lands are
handled by tenants under the supe--
vision Of Mr.. Wentz. Paintings are
timed to catch the markets when
rrices are generally at a high level.
Mr.. Wentz keeps in close contact
with paintings il competitive sec
tions. storage conditions in the North
! and the general market situation.