The Arizona sentinel., 1909-04-22
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by
r II. Forbes, Director ard
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University of Arizona,
January l5, 1907.

January 10, 1907.
Just west OF Yuma, Arizona, in the aIuvial
aood-plain of the Colorado, lies St little farm
Of 10 acres which on May l, 1905, WIS virgin
bOttomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
brush and creOS0te bushes. TIE original
purpose of the tract was for planting selected
varieties of date palms imported by the q. =.
Department OF Agriculture from the Old
World. The Experiment station, May 2, be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the
work of leveliinG, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of l52 palms. was
completed.
THE PLAN WORK.
Recognizing, however, that a farmer with
his living to make neantime, cannot afford
ii 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
er's point of view In order TO economize
ground the rrigating 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. lrrigating water from the Colorado
Valley p < /. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tOmary manner, and E. L., Crane, himself Il
Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care of
what was niclnamed our play farm"
in size, as well as in the intensive character
of the work planned this FARM is the OPP
pOSite of the average holdings of this locality.
corn, barley, and fOrages i'll general, compare
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables ana fruits. Wltnai, the cost OF IeVelllnS
land in this region is high, rarely falling be-
low twen ty 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. TO meet these and other heavy items
of eYp pen sc in connection with the establish
ment Of farm in this region, intensive crops
or Il 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-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy loam
well adapted to gardening operations, was
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, barbed wire and posts for fencing
cost S60lU; lumber fOr headgateS cost S30.57
drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-spout
pump and II barrel, $l3.45; a small lumber
two-roOm house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, 2l32.75; and a bruSh-rOof
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled
ditching the ground, and for part c0nstruc-
ton of the house, is included in the above
estimates, as the common labor required or
dinarily would be, ana III 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, us stated above, therefore required
cash outlay Of about $4,000. IN addition i'll
the average instance must be included a
team, wagon. plow, harrow, haying equip
lnent shove!s hoes and other small tools