The Arizona sentinel., 1909-12-09
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS, A Lesson in Intensive Farming by R F. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agriculture,
 Experiment Station
University Of Arizona, Januery I5, 1907.

Just west of Yuma, Arizona. in the alluvial food plain Of the Colorado lies a little farm Of 72 acres which on May l, 1905. was virgin bOttonland, covered with saltweed, arrow brush and creosote bushes. Tne original purpose of the tract was for planting selected varieties Of date palms imported by the U. <. Department of Agriculture frOH the Old World. The EX pc, iment station, May 2. be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the work or leveiiug, bordering and irfigating the tract and the planting ot lI2 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN cE WoEE.
 Recognizing, however, that farmer with his living to make meantime, cannot afford to wait for au orchard 10 come into bearing it was planned to plant crops for quick re- turns between the tree-rows, thus putting the work On feasible basis from the small farm eT'S point of view. ln order to ecOnOmige ground the irriga!ing borders were 50 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 Ole-haf all acre in size. lrrigating water from the Colorado Valley F & 1. Canal was obtained in tie cuS- tomary manner, and k. L. Crane himseifa 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 pahned, this farm" is the op- pOsite of the average holdings Of this locality. The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa, corn, barley, and fOFages in general, com para lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits Withal, the cost Of evclling land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twen " dollars an acre at current prices for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, eX- elusive of maintenance, Of the Government iTrigating system now under construction will be about S350 ali acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of expense in connection with the esta blisli- menT of a farm in this region, intensive crops of a more remunerative character than those now in vogue, are essen tial. It was partly, therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects of the general situa- tion, tbut this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, was icVelled, ditcned and boiGcred at d contract price of ST, 2i an acre, considerably less than the average for tue locality, reckoning the labor of men and teams at current rates. In addition, barbeG wire and posts for fencing cost $60l9 lumber for headgatcs cost s39.57; a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-spOut runIp and a barrel, $I3.45; small lumber two-room house, including five and one half days carpenter hire, $i5275; and brush-roof shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled labor employed in leyeilng, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part construc- ton of the house, is included in tho above estimates, as the common labor required or dinariy would be, and in this case was fur nished by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and make it habitable for a small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required cash outlay of about S4GG.00. In addition, in the average instance must -be included a team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip rnent ShOve;S hoes and other small tools.
 CROPS AND MARKETS
 The crops selected A-t,e season or I9GG were Early Rose potatCes, White Bermuda onions. ROckyford csntaioupes, Dwarf Cham piOn and Burpee'S Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides a few hills of watermeIonS 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 al. aver age family of five and a team of horses is aS- stunned to do the work required. as explained below. Items necessitating cash outlay as seed, irrigatiEg water. and crates are deducted from gross returns. Water costs an average of 50 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 oral, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White Bermuda onions; .47 acres; Seed planted Sept 27-Oct. 2, l?iGj. Young onions transpunted Feb. 59. l9OG. Crop matured about June l. Yield, 33i6 pounds of dry on Ions. Highest price received 2iac a pound: lowest price received, lSc pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.
 Cash Cash