The Arizona sentinel., 1907-02-06
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by R. ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station.
University of Arizona, InnuarY lO. laM7.

January l5, l9t7.
 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial | fioOd-pla Of the Colorado. lies a little farm or 72 acres when on May l, lglo, was virgin botionland, covered with saltweed, arrow brush and creOSOte bushes. The original purpose of the tract was for planting selected vaIieties of date palms imported by the U. S. 1 Department of Agriculture from the Old | World. The Experiment station, May 2, be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the work Of levelling, bordering and irrigating the tract and the planting of l52 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that farmer with | his living to make meantime, cannot afford ! to wait for an orchard to come into bearing, it was planned to plant crops for QuIck re- turns between the tree-rowS, thus putting the wOrK on a feasible basis from the small farm | CTS point Of view. In order 10 econOmiZe ground the irrgating borders were so placed as to coincide with the rows or palms, thus utilizing space otherwise usually wasted. The tract was divided by the borders into lands, for the most part one-half an acre in size. lrrigatin% water from the Colorado Valley F. & l. Canal was obtained in the cus- tomary manner, and r.. l.. Crane, himself a Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care of what,waS nicknamed our play farm."
 In size, as well as in the intensive character of the work planned, this farm" is the op- pOSite Of the average holdings Of this locality. The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa, corn, barley, and forages in general, cOmpara- lively little attention being given to vege-
 
 land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twenty dollars an acre at current prices for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, ex- elusive of maintenance, of the Government irrigating system now under construction will be about $50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of experse in connection with the establish ment of a farm i'll this region, intensive crops of more remunerative character than those now in vogue, NIe essential. It was partly, therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon Hna.hf aial fl,n tiOn, that this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, was levelled, ditched aud bof ofdered at a contract price of ST. 2O an acre, considerably less than tine gN eTage for the locality reckoning the labor of men and teams at current rates. In addition, barbed wire and posts for fencing cost $50 10; lumber for headgates cost sS9.5I; drive well point and pipe, pitcherspOut pump and a barrel, SIS 45; a small lumber two-roOm house. including five and one. half days carpenter hire, Sl52.7Jj and n brush-roof shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled labor employed in levelinx, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part construc- ton of the house, is included in the above estimates, as the common laDor required or dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur nished by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and make it habitable for small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required cash outlay of about Si00OO. In addition, in the average instance must be included q team, wagon. blow, harrow, having eauip- ment, shovels hoes, and other small tools.
 CROPS AND MARKETS
 The crops selected for the season of 1906 were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda onions. Rockytord cantaioupts, Dwarf Cham pion and Burpce'S Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa besides a few hills Of watermelons and Sundry vegetables
 The produce was marketed in Yuma with the exception of tomatoes, which, for the largest part, were expiI ssed to Tucson and Bisbee. The following statements for the various crops are on the basis of net cash le- turns to the small farmer, who with ar aver age family of five and team of horses is aS- stunned to do he work required. as explained below. Items neceSsiiallng cash outlay, as seed, irrgating water, and crates are deducted from gross returns. Water costs an average of 50 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops grown The yields in certain instances are low, due to the unimproved condition of the soil, which, like desert soils in general, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White Bermuda onions; 1T acres; Seed planted sept. ? oct. 8, 1905. Young onions transplanted, Feb. 5-9. 1905. Crop Inatured about June l. Yield, 39i6 pounds of dry on-. ions. Highest price received, 2Hc a pound: lowest price received, l.Sc pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.
 Cash Cash