The Arizona sentinel., 1909-11-11
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,
January Is, 1907
| just west OF Yuma, Arizona in the alluyia]
| food-plain Of the Colorado lies little farm
Of 10 acres which on May l, 1905, was virgin
| bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
! brush and creOSote bushes The origin al
purpose OF the tract was for planting selected
varieties OF date palms imported by the u. 5.
/ Department Of Agriculture from the Old
! World The Experiment station, May q be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the
work OF levelling, bordering and irrigatine
the tract and the planting CT l52 palms, was
| completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however, that q 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-
turns between the tree-rOWS, thus putting the
work on a feasible basis from the small farm
| ers point OF view. In order to econOmiZe
| ground the irTigating 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. 1rrigating water from the Colorado
Valley i. q l. Canal was obtained in the GUS
tomary manner, and e. l.. Crane, himself a
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 forages in general, compara-
tables and fruits. Withal, the 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
irrigating system now under construction
will be about $3.50 an acre annually for ten
years. 10 meet these and other heavy items
OF expense In connection with the establish
mcnt of q farm in this region, intensive crops
OF a more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential. 1t was partly,
o. on locu.n -,
these financial aspects of the general situa-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil OF our tract, n warm, sandy loam
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelled, d1tched and bordered at a contract
price of Sl7.2u an acre, considerably less than
the average for the locality, reckoning the
labor OF men and teams at current rates In
addition, barbed wire and posts for fencing
cost S60.l0; lumber for headgates cost $40 81:
a drive we'll point and pipe, u pitcher-spout
pump and n barrel, Sl345 small lumber
two-room house, including five and onehalf
DAYS carpenter hire, Sl52 75 and brush-roof
shelter for horses, about $500 Only skilled
labor employed in lcveiling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part construc-
ton OF the house, is included In the above
estimates, as the common labor required or
dinariiy would be, and in this case was, fur
nished by the farmer himself.
TO bring this ground under cultivation and
make 1t habitable for small farmer and his
family, rs stated above, therefore required q
cash outlay of about $4,000. In addition in
the average instance must be included q
team, wagon. plow, harrow, haying equip
ment s1ovels hoes and other small tools.
CROPS AID MARKETS.
The crops selected for tue season OF 1906
were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda
onions, Rockyford cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpecs Quarter Century tomatoes |
and alfalfa, besides n few hills OF watermclonS
and sundry vegetables.
The produce was marketed in Yuma with |
the exception of tomatoes, which, for the |
largest part, were expressed to Tucson and
BSbee. The following statements for the |
various crops are on the basis OF net cash re- |
turns to the small farmer, who with an aver
age family OF five and team of horses is as |
sumcd to do the work required as explained |
below. Items necesSitating cash outlay as |
seed, irrigatiHg water, and crates are deducted |
from gross returns. Water costs an average |
Of % 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 general, was
low In nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; At acres; Seed
planted Sept. 27-Oct. g. 1905 Young onions
Feb. SO, 1906. Crop Inatured
about June l.. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
IONS. Highest price received, 2Hc a pound;
lowest price received, l.Sc pound Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.
Cash Cash