The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-08-26
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson I'm intensive Farming by
K II. Forbes, Director ard
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University OF Arizona,
January -, 1907.

JonittIy l)i l:Nf.
lust west of Yuma, a Ariz0n,, In the al!uyi;l
flood plain of .he Colorado, lies y little farm
Of ~ acres which on May /, IWI,y vas virgin
hottomland, covered with 2a!t@ccd. arrow
brush ami cra9sotc bushes. Tne original
purpose of the tact was for planting selected
VaFicti"S OF date palms iInpCltCd by the II. y
Department of A.Iicniurc from the Old
World. The Experiment station, MAY ,. be-
gan preparing the -C0hDd, aats on May % the
work of lcVcllng, Bordering and ir.igating
the trIct and the planting OF l52 PAINS, was
completed.
THE rI.AN or WORK.
Recognizing, however, that a farmer with
mis- living TO make meantime, cannot afford
to wait for IN orchard to come into bearing,
il Was planned TO plant crops for quick re-
turns between the trce-rowS, Tits putting the
work on feasible basis from the small farm
crS point OF view. III order TO ccOnOmiZc
ground tue irTigaiipg borders were SO placed
az 10 coincide with the rows of palms, thus
utilizing space otherwise usually wasted
Tire tract was divided by the borders into
lands, for tire most part one half an acre in
size lrrigatiIfG wafer from the Colorado
Valley i. & l. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tOmary manner, and l.. Il. Crane, himself II
Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care OF
- hat WITS nicknamCd our play farm"
ln size, rs wei! rs lin The Intensive character
OF tie work l'aitned, this farm" il the or
IOS!tC OF tho average hOidiUrs Of this lOcalitv
The prevailing crops Of the region are alfalfa
corn, barley, and foTaSes in general, coInIi;l RAJ
lively little attention being given to Vc%c-
tables and fruits. WiisIal, the cos. of lcvclling
land ln thjS region is high, rarely falling be-
tow tsrCnfy dollars an acre at current prices
sUr la':or end teams. Moreover, the cost, ex-
elusive W maintenance, Of the Government
irrGating system now under construction
viii bc about $50 en- acre annually for ten
years 70 meet these and other heavy items
of expense IN connection with the establish
ment of Il farm in this region, intensive crops
of a more renunCrative character than those
now in vogue, are essential II was partly,
therefore as an object lesson, bcsrin;; upon
these financial aSlmcts of the general sitUa-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
EECLAMATtoS OF TILE GROUND.
Tire soil Of our tract. q warm, sandy lo:r:n
wei adarted TO gardeniuE OiJerstiOns, was
iCVellcd, ditchCd md boIde"cd at a contract
price Of Sl7.!l ;rSf acre, considerably less than
the average for the locality, reckoning the
labor of men and teams. al current rates. 1n
addit ton, kaTijcd wire and posts for fCIIcine
cost StOID; lumber fsH. ireadSiGcs cost SS9.5f;
Il t,riTC well rotrt and pipe Il riteacr-spo.i
pEnIP ana x karrci, sI3 -; q small lumber
two-r00in housc, Including Ave ana one hal!
days carpcn ter hitC, Jl51.55; and bruslG-r0uf
shelter for horses, about 500. Only skilled
labor employed in lcvel!ins, burdcring rad
ditching the ground, ana for part constrlic-
ton OF the house, IS liGndcd III the above
estimates, rs the common labor REQ uir,a.t Or-
diuarity would bc, and in This ctrsc wstS, fdf-
nisired by the farmer himself
70 bring this ground Wiriicr citltiYaiion and
make { habiiablc for % small farmer aild his
family, us stated above, therefore required a
cash Outlay of slJotEt Sit0:5. tI- addition, iif
the aVerrge tasfttfFcc mrst be iIrciHcgts Il
team; %HEtlt. hiC2, harrow, hayiug equip
ment SiIOFcIS hoes and other small tools.
CRors AND MARKETS.
The crops selected for the season of 1906
were Eariy Rose potatoes, Whife fieyia1tdN'
onions Rock Yford cantaioarcy ay,raft Cham
pion aud BErpee's Quarter Century tomatoes,
and airtsif'r, besides few hills of watellnciOnE
and sjBdry vegetables.
The protj-cc w;hs nffllctcd il Yuma -i:hi
the cXcesrffhn O{ tomatoes, which, f3r tIc
largest pH'rt, %cfc expressed to Fsr&SOn aud
iSSb@e. Z ne following Statcshcuis FOR tie
vaIioTrs crops are on the !iS?s t1 net cash ic-
turns to fire SnItl farmer, who with ~. aver
age family OF five and team of horses is i-S-
suiilc,l Ia do the work required. as explained
tIclOW. Items nPcCSSitatinG cash outlay, as
seed. irrgatiug water. and cT;TteS are deducted
ffoIn gHoSS rctt-gDs. WiteT costs an average
OF 10 cents fhT irrigation per for the crops
grown. The yields in certain instances are
low, Que 10 the unimnroVrd condition of tire
soil, which, like desert soils in gcr-leet, was
low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected Yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; ~ acres; Seed
plant q sent. 21-Oct :, !Yt5. Youna onions
F&b 5-} FGn t.cp Iiatured
abcaf Juife +. Yiclts, 1916 pounds Of dry on
Ions. tsiStScst price received, 2l%c a pound:
lowest Price received, l.Sc - pound. Entirc
crop marketed in Yuma.
Cash Cash