The Arizona sentinel., 1909-05-13
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by
r II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist OF Agricultural
Experiment Station
University Of Arizona.

lust west of TVma. Arizona, in the alluvial
food plain of the Colorado lies Il Ettle farm
OF 10 acres which on May l. 1906, was virgin
bottOmland, covered with Saltweed arrow
brush and creosote Bushes. Tne original
purpose of The tract Sas for planting selected
varieties eff date palms imported by the U. y.
Department of Agriculture from the Old
World. The Experiment station, May .. be-
gan preparing the ground, and OH May % the
work of ieveling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of l52 palms, was
completed.
TIL; PLAN OF WORK.
his living to make meantime, cannot afford
to wait for an orchard TO come into bearing,
it was planned to piaiht crops for quick re-
SIirnS between the tfee-rcWS, thus putting fhe
work on Il feasible basis from the small farm
er'S pOint Of view. In order to econoMriZe
ground the rrigating borders We're so placed
as to coincide with the rows of 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: lrrigating water from the Colorado
Valley j. & /. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tOmary manner, and f. L.. Crane, himself Il
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 foTages in general, compara-
tively little attention being given to vege
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of levellihg
land in this region is high, rarely falling be-
low twenty dollars an acre at current prices
for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, e%-
elusive of maintenance, of the Government
irrigating system now under construction
will be abOnt $3.50 ain acre annually for ten
years. 70 nlcst these and other heavy items
Of expense in connection with The establish
ment of Il farm in this region, intensive crops
of Il moro remmefative character than those
now in vogue, essential. 1t was partly,
therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon
these financial aspects of the general stuu-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
Tire soil OF our tract, II warm, sandy loanr
well adapted to gardening operations, was
ieNclled, djtched and boIderUd at contract
price OF Sl7 20 an acre, considerably less than
the aN erage for the locality, reckoning the
labor OF men ana teams al S1srrent rates. In
addition, barbCd wire sud posts for fencing
cost 560l0 lumber To- headgateS cost $s9.57;
drive well point and pipe, Il ptcher-spout
pump and barrel, Sl345; small lumber
two-rOOm house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and a hrush=ToOf
shelter for horses, about $500. Only sklics;
labor employed in lcyelling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and IUF part construc-
ton Of the house. is Included in the above
estimates, as the common labor required or
dinaFiiy would be, ard in this case was, fur
niSned by the farmer himself.
TO bring this ground under cultivation and
make it habitable for Sc small farmer and his
family, us stated above, therefore required II
cash otittay of about $4C0-,O. In addition, il;
the average instance mESt be included a
team, wagon. plow, harrow, hayiNg equip
ment shOHefs hoes ana other small tools.