The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-09-30
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
X II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University Of Arizona,
January Is. 1907.

| University Of Arizona,
January Is, 1907.
1ood-plain of the Colorado, lies little farm
OF 10 acres which ou May /, 1876, was virgin
bOttomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
brush and creOSOte bushes The origin al
! purpose of the tract was for planting selected
| varieties OF date palms ported by the u. y.
i department. OF Agriculture from the Old
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.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
! Recognizing, however, that q farmer with
his living to make meantime, cannot afford
! to wait for an orchard to come into bearing,
/ 1t was planned to plant crops for quick re.
turns between the tree-rows, 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 a
Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care of
what was nicknamed our "play farm"
In size. as well as i'm the IN tensive 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, compare
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 TWEEN ty dollars an acre at current prices
| for labor and teams. Moreover. the cost, ex-
irrigating system now under construction
Will 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 81 farm In this region, intensive crops
OF more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential. 1t was partly,
therefore, rs 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, q warm, sandy loam
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelied, ditched end bOrdered at contract
price OF Sl7.2D 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 $50. 10; lumber for l1eadgates cost $39.57;
drive well point and pipe. a pitcher-spout
pump and a barrel, $40 45; 81 small lumber
two-room house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, Sl5z 75; and - brusli-roof
shelter for horses. about $500 only skilled
labor employed IN levelling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part construc-
tiOn of the house, Is included in the above
estimates, as the common labor required or
dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur
niShPd by the farmer himself
To bring this ground under cultivation and
make 1t habitabie for small farmer and his
family, as stated above, therefore required Il
cash outlay of about $4,000. In addition, in
the average fnstance mast be included
team, wagon. plOw. harrow, haying equip
ment shOvels hoes and other small tools.
CROPS AND MARKETS.
The crops selected for the season OF 1898
were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda
onions. RockyfoTd can ntaiou pes, Dwarf Cham
pion and BnrPee's Quarter CeHG..ry tomatoes,
and alfalfa, besides, few hills of waterlneiOns
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 tU the small farmer. ~ho with al aver
age family Of five and Il team of horses Is Az
Sumed to do the work required. as explained
below. Items neceSsitating cash outlay, as
seed irrfgating water. and crates are deducted
from gross returns. Water costs an average
Of 80 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops
grown. The yields in certain instances are
low, Cue to the unimproved condition OF the
soil, which, ike desert soils in gef;.i.l, was
low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White bermuda onions; ~ acres; Seed
planted Sept 27-Oct. g. 1905 Young onions
trsnspianted, Feb. SO, 1901. Crop Inatured
about June /. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
ions. Highest price received, 2lic a pound:
lowest price received, 1.8c q po0nd. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.