The Arizona sentinel., 1908-03-11
CROPS AND MARKETS.

/
were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda
onions. Rockyford cantaiOupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes,
| and alfalfa, besides few hills of watermelOnS
and sundry vegetables.
The produce was marketed in Yuma with
the exception of tomatoes, which, for the
| largest part, were expressed to Tucson and
Bisbee The following statements for the
various crops are on the basis OF net cash re-
turns to the small farmer, who with an aver
age family of five and team of horses is as
Sumed to do the work required. as explained
| below. Items neceSsitating cash outlay, as
| seed, irrigating water, and crates are deducted
from gross returns Water costs an average
OF 30 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 ger~Ial was
| low in nitrogen and organic matter Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; AZ acres; Seed
planted Sept Poet. 3, 1909. Young onions
about June |. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
| ions. Highest price received, 21sc a pounds:
| lowest price received, 18c pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.
| Cash Cash
outlay. returns.
| Seed .................. 2.SS
| Q IrrigatiOns in seed bed and
SirrigatOns in field about $50
Sacks and sundry, about. 2.56
| 1916 pounds OF onions at 2.5-
lSc .................... 1924
| Net cash returns, not de-
ductlng labor. .............. 64.30
s8A s7S2f
The amount of labor expended upon this
crop was large for the area, especially at the
tranSplanting time. One days team work in
preparing the land and about 80 days, mems
time, were required to bring it through, al
though the work was not heavy and could
have been largely performed by boys. The
yield was low owing to the desert and infer
tilted character of the soil, onions requiring
large amounts of organic matter in the soil to
give good results.
Early Rose potatoes; 81 acres: Seed pota-
toes planted Feb. 1919, 1905. Beginning to
bloom a pril b. Crop all harvested June l3.
Yield, 26l5 pounds. Highest price, May 2i,
SIC. Bulk of crop, 24c. All marketed in
Yuma.
Cash Cash
outlay. returns
$50 pounds seed-pOtatoes and
freight on same. ............ SOB
Irrgating water for SeSbania
used as fertilizer. .......... 29S
2 irrigatiOns for crop. .M
Formaline for scab, includ-
ing express. ...........-.-. LEO
26l5 pounds of potatoes at
Sz-221c S7O.UO
Net cash returns, not de-
Quoting labor .........t.... 51l5
5000 $1,000
The amount of labor required for the crop
itself was about ID working days, with team
y dayS. The SeSbania used as green manur-
ing on the west half OF the potato ground was
given IL irrigatiOnS Bermuda grass, more
oyer, hourished beneath the sesbania to such
an extent as subsequently to require % days
labor for cleaning up the .45acreS so fertilized.
Although the larger part of the crop came
from the sesbania fertilized portion of the pO-
tatOes, this method of enriching the soil
proved very costly, q days mans time and
days teamwork being required to put the ses-
bania under and afterwards get rid of the
Bermuda grass. Nevertheless, the labor en-
tailed could easily have been managed by a
careful farmer, as the Bermuda digging was
done in January when other work was not
urgent.
Tomatoes, Dwarf Champion and Burpee's
Quarter Century; .52 acres: Seed planted in
cOld-frame, Feb. |. 1906 TranSplan ted to field
March I2-I5. First ripe tomatoes, June 10.
Last of marketable crop, Sept. s. Yield, first-
class, ll2S2 pounds; second class. Salable, 22i9
pounds; waste, most OF which could have
been canned, 1910 pounds. Total crop of 1900
vines, 1891 pounds or 46 pounds, gross, to the
vine. Highest price received, 30c for single
pound on June 10. Bulk of first-class crop sold
during July in Tucson and Bisbee markets. at
616 to 413c f. o. b. Yuma. Second class crop
sold locally down to &c.
Cash Cash
outlay, returns.
Seed ................. l.72
Is irrigations, q acre 45O
43S crates for shipments to
Tucson and Bisbee. $3.50
1881 pounds of tomatoes at
30c to 2c.......... 1924 Coz
Net cash returns, not de-
Quoting labOr.-.......-.... 55l.SS
s6A6O S62I.6O
*Not including SLIGO, failed to collect
Until the last of June this crop required but
little labor. During the shipping season,
however, four persons were employed on
about half time in picking, packing aud ship
ing the crop. The entire labor requirements
for the crop were, mems time, IS days; women
and boys, SO days; and team 10 days. the
heaviest demand upon labor being during
July Dwarf Champion and Burpee's Quarter