The Arizona sentinel., 1909-12-02
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS, 4 Lesson In Intensive Farming by K ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,
 lnniI1crrr llnl-

January i5, lgO7. Just west Of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial | hood-plair of the Colorado, lies little farm | Of 7.2 acres which on May l, 1895, was virgin bottOuilRnd, covered with saltweed, arrow brush md ereOSOte bushes. The original purpose Of the tract WAS for planting selected varieties or date palms imported by the U. x. Departincnt Of Agriculture from the Old World. The Experiment station, May 2. be- gan preparing the ground, and oh May 20 the work or levelling, bordering and irrigatine the tract and the planting Of i52 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 bearing, 1t was planned 10 plant crops for quick re- turns between the tree-rows thus putting the work on a feasible basis from the small farm CTS 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 1 lands, for the most part oue-half an acre in Valley P. & l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tOmary manner, and E. l.. Crane, himself q Yuma Valley farmer, undertook tie care of what was nlcknamed 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, conipara- lively little attention being given to vege. tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of levelling land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twenty doilRIs an acre at current prices for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, ex- elusive of maintenance, Of the Govern ment irrigating system now Under construction will be about S3.50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of ex penSe In connection with the establish ment of a farm in this region. i-tensive crops of more remunerative char scter than those now in vogue, are essential It wss 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. Q warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, waS levcllcd, ditched and bor.lered ut a contract the average for the locality, reckoning the labor Of men and teams at current rates. In addition, harbed wire and posts for fencing cost $50. 70; lumber for headgates cost s59.57; a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-spout pump and Q barrel, SIS E; q small lumber Lwo-room house. including five and one half days carpenter hire. 75; and a brush.roof shelter for horses, about s5O0. Only skilled labor employed in leyelling, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part construc- tion Of the house, is included In the above estimates, as the common labor required 0r- dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur nished by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and make 1t habitable for a small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required cash outlay Of about s4OOOC. Tn addition, in the average instance must be included team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip ment shOvels hoes and other small tools.
 CROPS AND MARKETS.
 The crops selected for tile season of 1906 were Early Hose potatoes, White Bermuda onions. Rockyfori cant3ioupes, Dwarf Cham piOn and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes and alfalfa, heSideS a 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 Bisbee. The following statements for the various crops are on the basis of net cash re- turns to the small farmer, who with ar aver age family Of i've and a team of horses Is aS- stunned to do the wOik required. as explained below. Items necesSitating cash outlay, as seed, irrigating water. and crates are deducted from gross returns Water costs an average Of 30 cents for irrigation per for the crops grown. The yields in certain instances arc low, due to the uniInproyed condition Of the soil, which, like desert soils in ger.ial, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. | White Bermuda onions; 1T acres; Seed | planted Sept. N-Oct. 8, 1905. Young onions l Feb 5-9. l0Oi. Crop inatured | about June 1. Yield, 39l6 pounds Of dry on- | ions. Highest price received, 2Hc q pound; | lowest price received,- 1.sc q pound. Entire | crop marketed in Yuma.
 Cash Cash
 outlay. returns. |