Fortune from courtyard fallow land
His success is a topic of discussion for many in Magura Sadar upazila. District agriculture officials now visit his harden and tell others to follow the example.
Subol remains busy taking care of plants or harvesting lemon which brought him fortune from extreme poverty.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Fifty year-old Subal was a jobless man in Katakhali village. He inherited only 30 decimal land in the courtyard, which remained fallow earlier.
He had to work as a day labourer and pull rickshaw at times to feed his serve member family with three sons, one daughter and one younger brother.
His younger brother, then an HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) student, had stopped going to school due to poverty.
Fortune smiled on them after Subal planted some lemon saplings in the courtyard out of curiosity about six years back.
He could not imagine that some day this would make his fortune.
"Being influenced by AED Block Supervisor Abdul Momin, I gave more time and labour to nurse the plants. The courtyard turned into a lemon garden in 2000," a smiling Subal told this correspondent during a recent visit.
One day, AED (Agriculture Extension Department) officials came to visit his lemon garden. They encouraged and assured him assistance.
He expanded his garden to 30 decimal in the same year. The number of plants grew to 225.
"Next year, I earned Tk 60,000. It was beyond my imagination.
"As price of lemon was higher that year, I earned the amount from only 50 plants," a giggling Subal said.
"My average income is around Tk 25, 000 a month. I earn about Tk 3 lakh a year as each plant yields 1,600 to 1,800 lemons each season".
Lemon cultivation needs small investment but the return is big.
"I invested Tk 5,000 only," he said.
"My younger brother Dudal Kumar will appear at MA examination next year", a proud Subal said.
He usually uses cow dung, TSP, Potash in the garden.
According to him, five months of the Bangla year --from Baishakh to Bhadra -- is the peak season of lemon harvest.
He said he had faced problem in marketing. "Now, vegetable traders come to my house and buy lemon", he said.