The Arizona sentinel., 1909-01-14
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by R Ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona, January Is, 1907.

University of Arizona, 1 January I5, 1907. Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluyial 6o0d-plain Of the Colorado, lies a little farm
 Of 7,2 acres which on May l, 1905. was virgin | bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow | brush and creOsote bushes The original purpose of the tract was fer planting selected 1 varieties Of date palms imported by the U. <. | department Of Agriculture from the Old l World. The Experiment. station, May ?. be- gan preparing the ground and on May 20 the work Of levelling, bordering and irrigating the tract and the planting of 152 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that a farmer with his living to make meantime, cannot afford to wait for an orchard to come into bearing, 1t was planned to plant crops for quick re- turns between the tree-rows, thus putting the work on feasible basis from the small farm. CTS point of view. In order to econoinize ground the irrigating borders were 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. irrtgating water from the Colorado Valley ?. & l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tOmary manner, and E. l.. Crane, himselfa Yuma Valley farmer hndertook the care of what was nicknamed our play farm."
 In size, as well as in the intensive character of the work planned, this "farln' is the op- posite of the average holdings of this locality The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa, corn. barley, and fora9eS in general compAra- lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits. Withal, tbe cost of levelling 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 irrtgating system now under construction will be about S3.50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of expense in connection with the establish ment of farm in this region, intensive crops Of a more remunerative character than those now in vogue, are essential. It was partly therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects of the general situa- ton, that this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, was levelleh, ditched and botdered at a contract price or Sl7 2J an acre. considerably less than the average for the locality, reckoning the | labor of men and teams ar current rates. In l addition, harbed wire and posts for fencing l cost S60lU; lumber foi' headgateS cost S3gj7: |. a drive well poiut and pipe, a pitcher-spout ] pump and barrel, SIS 45: a small lumber | two-rOom house, including five and one half | days carpenter hire al52.75; and ;t brush-roof | shelter for horses, about S5 %. Only skilled | labor employed in levelling, bordering and | ditching the ground, and for part construc- ! ton of the house, Is included in the above 1 estimates, as the common labor required or | dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur | nished by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and ] make 1t habitable for a small farmer and his | family, as stated above, therefore required d | cash outlay of about SiuO.'O. In addition. in | the average instance must be included a | team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip Inent shovels hoes and other small tools.