Evening star., 1945-02-22
Girl, II, Operates 767-Acre Maryland Farm
After Father Enters Service and Uncle Is Killed
CuItivotes 10000
Tobacco Plants, Feeds
Stock and MiIks Cows
By FRANCES LIDE.

girl WIZ CdH lOOk ABOUT Tie we'll
filled tobacco barn on her grand
parents farm near Bryantown, Md,
and know 1t might be almost empty
III she hadn't turned into a farmer
ette last summer
Doroles Costello, whose father,
Pvt. Wilford Costello, is overseas, is
an unusually capable youngster.
| How she took over all the work OF
the 167-acre farm last June, culti-
Gated 10000 tobacco plants, fed the
stock, did most of the milking
looked after the chickens and gen.
erally kept things going is fast
being spread beyond Charles County
Picture in Tractor Ad.
Her picture and brief account
lof her accomplishments were fea-
tured this winter in magazine ad-
vertisements by a large tractor
manufacturing concern.
Dolores makes a lively figure In
her favorite costume riding
breeches with plaid jacket. As
her brown eyes sparkle in face
usually lighted by wide, friendly
grin, it's easy to guess why she s
president of her eighth grade class
at st. Mary's parochial school at
Bryantown.
Before her father joined the Army
in October, 1912, she used to fol-
low him about the farm and she can
remember the fuss her grandfather
made four or five years ago when
her dad picked her up and let her
ride on the tractor.
Later when one of her uncles,
Clarence Costello, took charge of
the farm, he would let Dolores help
him. Last summer, when he was
planting the tobacco, she was al
lowed to drive the tractor.
Overcomes Many Obstacles.
Then in June, Clarence Costello
was killed in an automobile acci-
dent
BY that time her father was in the
South Pacific, her grandfather, j. IT.
Costello. was unable to do farm
work and another uncle, James, who
might have stepped into the breach,
was in the Army at Camp Cor
don. Ga.
With the aid of a single farm
hand, however, the family believed
things could be managed. And
then the farm hand quit.
Dolores grandmother recalls that
after all efforts to get some one to
cultivate the tobacco had failed,
she stood looking out over the
fields. Then she turned to her
granddaughter.
Dolores, do you think you could
get on that tractor?"
All She Was Awaiting.
Mrs. Costello laughs now when
she tells it. That's all Dolores was
waiting for. You bet I can," she
said
Soon she wrote her dad: Don't
worry. I'll manage"
For the next two months Dolores
manned" the farm-getting up
about s am and working until sun
down, with occasional rest periods
when she usually read the funny
papers. Her 8-year-old sister Bar
bara Ann helped with the milking
and light chores, and an aunt, en-
ployed in Washington, came out
during her vacation. But Dolores
carried the main load.
Besides battling the weeds from
the tractor, she also got busy with
the hoe. When the time was right
she topped the tobacco, and later
on she started cutting and spear
ing it.
BY September, when her uncle
James was released from the Army
she had managed to harvest about
third Of the crop.
Really Surprised.
II was really surprised to see
what she had done" he said. Some
of the tobacco might have pulled
through, but at least $4,000 plants
in one field alone would have been
lost entirely, if she hadn't culti-
vated it."
Dolores recalls a few bad mo-
ments. Once, in the beginning, she
forgot how to operate the tractor
and another time the tractor was
stuck in field. She usually over
came her own difficulties. although
a neighbor across the road would
help when the tractor broke down
Her uncle says she wrote him
Tor advice few times. "Once, dur
ing a rainy spell, she asked what
she should feed the stock" he said
But I knew the sun would be out
again by the time she heard from
me-"
What was the hardest thing she
had to do?
"None of 1t Hard"
None of it was hard" Dolores
insisted. We'll, the narrowing might
have been a little hard"
With her uncle home, Dolores de-
chned to continue with the milk
ing after school started. ''I couldn t
blame her. he grinned.
But she and Barbara Ann still
get breakfast before school. bring
in the wood and help with the
chickens.
Her hobbies are horseback riding
and cooking. Waffles and cakes are
her speciality.
She's, an "A"- student at school
and, as president of her class. often
is asked to take charge while her
teacher is out of the room. .sNo-
body gives any trouble when she
takes over" Sister Mary Etto, the
principal, said.
Dolores write. ner father about
every other Gay. And when he
learned recently she was president
of her class, he could only write
back: What a girl! I'll have to
say again I'm proud of YOU"
Red Cross Cumpoign
A L