The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-10-07
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
r II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University Of Arizona,
In,N ., % ,.-- II lnn-

University Of Arizona,
January i5 1907
! f1oOd-pIain of tile Colorado, lies u little farm
| of 10 acres which on May l. 1865, was virgin
! bOttOmland, covered with saltweed, arrow
! brush and creOStJte bushes. TIE original
purpose OF the tract was for planting selected
varieties OF date palms imported by the u. :.
/ Department Of Agriculture from the Gid
World. The EX pertinent station, May 2, be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the
work of Ievelling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting OF 152 palms, was
completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however, that n farmer with
bis living TO make meantime, cannot afford
to watt for an orchard to- come into bearing,
it was planned to plant crops for quick re-
turns between the trce-rows, thus putting the
work on feasible basisfrom the small farm
er's point of view IN order to economiZe
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. lfrigating water from the Colorado
| Valley p. & |, Canal was obtained in the GUS
tomary manner, and r. l.. Crane, himself q
Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care of
what was nicknanled 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 III general, com para
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost OF levelling
land in this region is high, rarely falling be-
low twenty dollars ali acre at current prices
! for labor and teams. Moreover the cost, ex-
elusive of maintenance, of tho Government
irr1gating system now under construction
will be about $3.50 an acre annually for ten
years To meet these and other heavy items
of expense in connection with the establish
ment OF a farm in this region, intensive crops
OF n more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential. 1t was partly
fhnr IN nhi oct hopr rirlor
these financial aspects OF the general sitUa-
| ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract a warm, sandy loam
well adapted IL gardening operations, was
leYelle'l, ditched and ordered at 81 contract
price OF Sl7.20 an acre, considerably less than
the erage for the locality, reckoning the
labor of men and teams at current rates. In
addition, baibcd wire and posts for fencing
cost $G0.l0; lumber for headgates cost S3S.57;
q drive we'll point and pipe, a pitcher-spout
pump and II barrel, SI3.45 il small lumber
two-roOm house. including five and one-half
DAYS carpenter hire, $751; .75; and II brush-roof
shelter for horses, about 500. Only skilled
labor employed in Ieveiling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part constrlic-
ton of The house, is included in the above
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 it habitable for small farmer and his
family, stated above, therefore required
cash outlay of about Sf00.u0. IN addition, in
the average instance must be included q
team, wagon. plow. harrow, hayiDg equip
ment ShOveiS hoes and other small tools.
CHOPS AND MARKETS.
The crops SeIec:td for tue season of 1896
were Early RCse potatoes, White Bermuda
onions. ROckyfOrd cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpce'S Quarter Century tomatoes,
and alfalfa, besides few hills of watermeions
and SuEdry vegetables.
The produce was marketed ii 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 cLsh ie-
turns TO the small farmer, who with 81. aver
age family Of five and Il team of horses is as
sumed to do the work required. as explained
below. Items necesSitating cash outlay, ;lS
seed. irrigating water. end crates are deducted
from gross returns. Water cCsts 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, ike desert soils III general was
low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; ~ acres; Seed
planted Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1868. Young onions
transpIanted, Feb. SO. 1906. Crop natured
about June /. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
ions. Highest price received, 2@c q pound;
lowest price received, lSc pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.