The Arizona sentinel., 1909-10-14
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by
r II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University of Arizona,
.Ian11rV IL ln07


bOttomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
brush and creosote bushes. The original
purpose of the tract was for planting selected
varieties Of date palms imported by the u y.
Department Of Agriculture from the Old
World. The EXperinient station, May 2, be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the
work OF levelling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of l52 palms. was
completed.
TIE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however, that 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 trPe-rnwS, thus putting the
work on feasible b3Sis from the small farm
er's point of view In order 10 economic
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 nnrt one-half an acre in
size. lrrigating water from the Colorado
Valley i. q |. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tnmary manner, and K. 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 foragcS i'll general, cOnIpar RAJ
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables and fruits. Withai, the cost of leveling
land in this region is high, rarely falling be-
low twenty dollars an acre at current prices
for labor and teS,3ls. Moreover, the cost, ex-
/ cl'-@ivr Of nlaintcnance, OF the Government
irrigating system now under construction
will be about $3.50 an acre annually for ten
years. 70 meet these and other heavy items
of expense in connection with the establish
ment of 81 farm in this region, intensive crops
OF a more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential. 1t was partly,
therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon
these financial aspects of the general situa-
tion. that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, warm, sandy loan
well adapted to gardening operations, was
price OF Sl7.2i 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 TO: headgates cost S39.57;
a drive well point and pipe, pitchcr-spout
pump and u barrel, Sl315; ~ small lumber
two-roon house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, siJ27 -; and Il brush-rOof
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled
labor employed in levelling, 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
dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur
niShed by the farmer himself
To bring this ground under cultivation and
make il habltabe for a small farmer and his
family, as stated above, therefore required 4
cash outlay of about Si0000. In addition, in
the average instance must be included a
team, wagon. plow, harrow, haying equip
ment shovels hoes, and other small tools.
CROPS AND MARKETs.
The crops selected for the season OF 1906
were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda
onions. R0ckyford cant;tioupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes,
and alfalfa, besides Il few hills of watermelons
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
riOuS "a the h1 sis M cash Ia
turns IT, the small farmer, wiO with al. aver
age family OF five and team of horses is as
sumed to do the work required us explained
belOW. Items neccSSitatIng cash outlay, as
seed, irrigatillg water. and crates are deducted
from gross returns. Water costs an average
of 30 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops
grown. The yields in certain instances are
low, Cue to the uuiInproVed condition OF tile
SOL. which, like desert soils in CEREAL, 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. 3, 1905. Young onions
trans2lanted, Feb: 80, 1896 Crop natured
aboat June /. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
ions Highest price received, 2k4c q pound;
lowest price received, l.Sc a pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.
Cash Cash
outlay. returns.
Seed 2.9S
o IrrEgations in seed bed and
8 SirrigasiOns in field. about $50
Sacks and Sundry, about. 2.56
S9l6 pounds of onions AT 2,-
l.SG ..-.. .....-----....-.--. S13.N
Net cash returns, not de-
ductlng labor. G4.j0
s73A s7SN
The amount of labor expended upon this
crop was large for the area, especially at the
tTanspan ting time. One days team work in
preparing the land and about 50 DAYS mems
time, were required to bring it through, al
though the work was not heavy and could
have bee, largely performed by boys. The
yield was low owing to the desert and unfer-
tilted character of the soil. onions requiring
large amounts of organic matter IN the soil to
give good results.
Ear " Rose potatoes; 81 acres: Seed pota-
toes planted Feb. 1919, 1906. beginning 20
bloom ApTil -. Crop all harvested June ~
Yield 2Glj pounds. Highest price, May 81
3Hc Bulk of crop, 2Ac. All marketed III
Yuma.
Cash Cash
outlay. returns
$50 pounds secd-potatoes and
freight on same. ...-...... S.03
1rTigating water for seSbania
used as fertilizer. 2.Gs
irTigati0ns for crop. 81
FOrmaline for scab, iuelud-
ing express. 100
26l5 pounds of potatoes at
S12-24c.~... s7Otp
Net cash returns, not de-
ducting labor, ......-..'.... 57.I0
s-oee 5000
The amount oflabor required for the crop
itself was about 10 working days, wish team
az days. The sesbania used as green Hlanur-
ing on the west half of the potato ground was
given II irrigatiOns. Bermuda grass, more
over, 1iC urisheG beneath the seSbania to SVch
an extent as subSeq ueBtly TO require q DAYS
labor for cleaning up the .l5acres. so frrtilized
Although the larger part OF the crop came
from the scsbana feTtilized portion OF the pO-
tatOeS, this method of enrching the soil
proved very costly, q days IHans time and >
days teamwork being required to put the SeS-
bania under and afterwards get rid OF the
Bermuda grass. Nevertheless, the labor en-
tailed could easily have been managed by d
careful farmer, as the Bermuda digging was
done in January when other work was not
urgent.
Tomatoes, Dwarf Champion and Burpee's
Quarter Century; - acres: Seed planted in
cOid-frane Feb. /. 1906 Transplar ted to field,
March i2-l5. First ripe tomatoes, June 10.
Last of marketable crop, Sept. 3. Yield, first
class, 1922 pounds; second class, sal&ble, 22l9
pounds; waste, most of which could have
been canned, 1910 pounds. Total crop or $500
vines, 1871 pounds or 4.6 pounds, gross, to the
vine. Highest price received, Soc for a single
pound on June 10. Bulk of tifst-class crop sold
during July in Tucson and Bisbee markets, at
6H to 4l:c t. o. b. Yuma. Second class crop
sold locally down to &c.
Cash Cash
outlay, returns.
Is irrigations, 4 acre $50
438 crates for shipments 10
Tucson and Bisbee. .....-... $3.50