The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-05-27
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by
K II. Forbes, Director ard
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University OF Arizona,
JantiarV Is. 1907.

University or Arizona,
January ID, 1907
Just west of TUNA, Arizona In the alluvial
food plain of the Colorado, lies n little farm
OF ~ acres which OH May |, 1885, was virgin
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. *
Department of Agriculture from the Old
World. The Eek pertinent station, MAY 2, be-
gan preparing the ground and ON May 20 the
work OF leveling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of l52 palms, was
completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however, that a farmer with
his living to make meantime, cannot afford
to wait for an orchard to- come into belrinR,
it was planned to plant crops for quick re-
turns between the trce-T0wS, thus putting the
work on feasible basis from 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. lrrigating water from the Colorado
Valley L. & !. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tomary manner, and E. l.. Crane, himself u
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 OPP
posite of the average holdings of this locality.
The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa,
corn, barley, and forages IN general, compare
/
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of leTelling
| land i'll this region is high, rarely falling be-
| low twenty dollars ali acre at current prices
| for labor and teanIS. Moreover, the cost, ex-
elusive of maintenance, Of the Government
| irrigating system now under construction
viii 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 farm in this region, intensive crops
of n more remunerative character than those
| now in vogue, are eSsentia 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 loan
well adapted to gardening operations, was
| leVelled, ,.ditched and boz dered at a contract
price Of Sl7.20 an acre, considerably less than
the az eTagc for the locality, reckoning the
labor of men and teams at current rates. In
cost S6Q. l0 lumber to- headgates cost S}9.57;
drive well point and pipe, Il pltcher-spout
pump and Il barrel, Si3 -; o. small lumber
twO-rOom house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire Sij2 70; and u bruSh-roof
shelter for horses, about 500. Only skilled
labor employed in levelling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part eonstruc-
tion of the house, is included in the above
estimates, as the common labor required or
din5Tily would be, and in this case was, fur
niShed by the farmer himself.
To bring this ground under cultivation and
make it hdbitablp for small farmer and his
family as Stated above, therefore required "a
cash outlay of about Sf00.tW. In addition, in
the average instance mast be included a
team, wagon. plow. harrow, hayins equip
Inent shOvcis hoes and other small tools.