The Arizona sentinel., 1910-12-22
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by R Ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

University of A riZona,
 January l5, 1907. Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial flood plain of the Colorado, lies little farm Of 7.2 acres which on May l, 1905, was virgin boGtomland, 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 or Agriculture from the Old World. The Experiment station, May 2 be- gan preparing the ground, and on May O the work Of dwelling, bordering and irrigating the tract and the planting Of l52 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that farmer with his living to make mean time, cannot afford to wait for an orchard to come into bearing, it 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 ecOnoniZe 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-haf an acre in size. lrrigating water from the Colorado Valley P. & l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tomary manner and E. l.. Crane, himself 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 Op- posite of the average holdings of this locality. The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa, corn, barley, and fOrages in general, compara- lively IlJGi6 attention De1ll2 gwen 10 NeSe- tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of levelling land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twenty dollars an acre at current prices fer labor and teams. Moreover. the cost, eX- elusive of maintenance, of the Government irrigating system now under construction will be about $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, intensive crops of more remunerative character than those now in vogue, are essential. It was partly, therefore, aS an object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects of the general stua- tion that this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND
 The soil Of our tract, a warm, sandy foam well adapted to gardening operations, was levelled, ditched aud bordered at a contract price of Sl7. 20 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 S60l0; lumber for headgates cost SS9.57; a drive well point and pipe, pitcher-spout pump and a barrel, .45; a small lumber two-roOm house. including five and One-half days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and a brush-roOf shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled labor employed in ievelling, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part construc- ton Of the house, is included in the above estimates, as the common labor required or dinarily Hould be, and in 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, as stated above, therefore required
 
 the average instance must be included a team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip ment shOvels hoes and other small tools.
 CROPS AND MARKETS.
 The crops selected for the season Of 1906 were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda onions. Rockyford cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham nion and Burpee'S Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides a few hills Of watermelons and sundry vegetables
 The produce was marketed in Yuma with the exception of tomatoes, which, for the Ia "a fn TncSnn nd Bisbee. The following statements for the various crops are on the basis of net cash re- turns to the small farmer, who with an aver age family Of five and a team of horses is aS- stunned to do the work required. as explained below. Items necessitating cash outlay, as seed, irrigating water. and crates are deducted from gross returns. Water costs an average Of % cents for irrigation per acre for the crops grown. The yields in certain instances are low, due to the unimproved condition of the soil, which, like 1eSert soils in ger ,Ial, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White Bermuda onions; .47 acres; Seed trans M ,ianted, Feb 5s, IeT. Crop mstuTed about June l. Yield, 39ih pounds of dry OIL ions. Highest price received, 2.c a pound; lowest price received, 1.8c pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma. .
 Cash Cash s outlay returns. Irrigations in seed bed and
 SirrigatiOns in field. about $50 Sacks and sundry, about. 2.56 39l6 pounds of onions at 25-
 .Sc ...... $.3.A Net cash returns, not de-
 ductlng labor. 63.30
 s724 S732i The amount of labor expended upon this crop was large for the area, especially at the tr; nsplan ting time. One days team work in preparing the land and about 32 days, mep's time, were required to bring it through, al- though the work was not heavy and could have been largely performed by boys. The yield was low owing to the desert and unfer- tilized character of the soil. onions recurring large amounts Of org sanic matter in the soil to give good results.
 toes planted Feb. I6-l9, 1906 Beginning to bloom April l3. Crop all harvested June l3. Yield, 26lo pounds. Highest price. May 2f, 314c. Bulk of crop, EXC. All marketed In Yuma.
 Cash Cash
 outlay. returns 25O pounds seed potatoes and
 freight on SaIl4e.......-.... g S03 Irrigating water for sesbania used as fertilizer. 2.98 2irr;gations for crop. .a Forrlaline fer scab, includ-
 ing express. 100 26l5 pounds of potatoes at
 Sh-2Mc...... $7O.Ul Net cash returns, mo- de-
 ducting labor. or............... 57l5
 s-0.0C s70OO The amount or labOT redulred for the crop itself v,ts 8 abCI1t l5 working days, with team l F days The SeSbania used as green manur- inh on ttC west half Of the potato ground was given l7 irrigati ons. Bermuda grass, more over !Ourished beneath the ses3ana to such .ltcnt d. subsequently, to rec ire g days labor for cleaning up the .i5acres SO fcrtiliZe'. Although t larger part of the "Top zane iron the SPsDa 'li:I rtliZcd port III Of the po- tltCeS, tIi, Det...)d 0t cE riching tnC SC-I proved " costlv, 2 dsl. -Gaus tine and 6a~-s teamwork beng reQu.ed to put the SeS- oapIa under and aft " rds get ri1 of the Bermut,a grass Nevertheless, he laDOr en- { lel CoU li Lslv have been I.4ana geu by d careful farmer, as Lue Der lU la digging was done ii Gs>nuary when other work was rot urgent.
 Tomatoes, Dv a6 Champion and Bur eC's Cv. ~ter CenpITy: .5- acres: Seed planted T Cyld-fIa-ne, + eJ. '. lG06. TransL .ant"d to id- V iarch l2 ]. First ripe teratOCs, June 70 Last of nark ble crop, sept. S. Yield, nIst, class, llL52 pounds; second class, saiablc, -2I9