The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-04-29
TlEiELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson is1 Intensive Farming by
Z ii. Forbes, Director and
Chemist OF Agricultural
Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial
food plain Of the Colorado, lies a little farm
OF - acres which on May /, 1903, was virgin
bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
byuSh and cleosote bushes. Tne original
purpose of the tract was for planting selected
varieties of date palms imported by the U. :.
Department of Agriculture from the Old
World. The Experiment station, May 2, be-
gen preparing the ground, and on May % the
work of fevellinG, bordering and irTigating
the tract and the planting of lJl palms, was
completed.
TIE 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,
it was planned to plant crops for Quick re-
5urnS between the trpe-rOWS, thus putting the
WORK on Il feasible basis from the small farm
eT's point Of view. IN order TO ccOnOmiZe
ground The irTigating borders We're so placed
as 10 coincide VITA the rows OF paInlS, tnuS
utilizing space Otherwise usually wasted.
The tract was divided by the borders into
lands, for the most part one-half an acre in
size. lrTgating water from the colorado
Valley p G !. Canal was obtained in tie Gus
tOnary manner, and l.. l.. Crane, himself a
Yuma Valley farmer. Underto2Jl the care of
what was nicknained our play farm"
In size, as well as in the intensive character
OF the work planned, this ''ferIH" is the Op-
pasit2 of the average holdings Of this locality.
The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa,
corn, barley, ard forageS in general, compare
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables and fruits. WithaI, the cost of levelling
land IN this region is high, rarely falling be-
low tWeD ty dollars an acre at current prices
for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, ex-
elusive of maintenance, of the GOVernment
irrigatihg system now under construction
will be about SO 80 an acre annually for ten
years. To meet these ana other heavy items
CT expense in connection with the establish
ment of farm in this region. intensive crops
of more remunerative character than those
now IN vogue, are essential. 1t was partly,
therefore, as object lesson bearing upon
these financial aspects Of the general situG-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GEJUND.
The soil of OUr tract q warm, sandy joan
well ADAPTED 10 gardening operations, was
leVeled, ditched and bOfdeTCd at a contract
price Of $l7 20 an acre, considerably less than
the average for the locality, reckoning the
labor OF men and teams at ctrfent rates In
addition, harbcd wire and posts for fencing
cost 2G0.l0; lumber fO% Eeadgatcs cost s3959;
il drive weli point and pipe, Il pitcher-spOut
pump and a barrel, Sl3.i5: q small lumber
twO-roOm house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, Sl52 75; and a bTtiSh-roOf
shelter for horses about 80 90 Only skilled
ditching the ground, and for part couStruc-
ton OF the house, is included in the above
estimates, as the common labor reauireG cr-
dinayily would he, and III this case was, fur
uiShcd by the farmer himself.
To bring this ground under cultivation and
make it habitablP for a small farmer and his
family, ms stated above, therefore required 81
cash outlay Of Ibout StC0j0. III addition, in
the average instance mast be included
team, wagon. plOw, harrow, haying equip
nent shovels hoes and other small tools.