The Arizona sentinel., 1910-09-08
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by R II. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

,,
 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, ip the alluvial flood plain of the Colorado, lies little farm of 7.2 acres which on May ], 1865, was virgin bottomiand, covered with saltwced, arrow brush and creosOte bushes. The original purpose of the tract was for planting selected varieties Of date palms imported by the U. S. Department of Agriculture from the Cid World. The Experiment station, May Y be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 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 meantime, cannot afford to wait for all orchard to come into bearing, it was planned. to plant crops for quick re- turns between the trce-rOwS, thus putting the work on feasible basis from the small farm CTS point of view. In order 10 econOmiZe ground the irrigating borders were so placed as to coincide with the rows of palms, thus utilizing space otherwise usually wasted. Tue tract was divided by the borders into lands, for the most part one-half an acre in size. lrrigating water from the Colorado Valley P. x 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 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 foragcs III general, comrara- lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of lcVelllng land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twenty dollars an acre at current prices for labor and teams. Moreover, the cost, eX elusive Of maintenance, of Lhc Government irTigating system now under construction will be about S3.50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of perSe in connection With the establish ment of a farm in this region, intensive crops of more rcmunerative character than those now in vogue, are essential. II was partly, therefore, as au object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects of tlIc general Stun- tin" that this cultural work was planned. RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND. The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy lOam well adapted to gardening opcratiOns, was levelled, diLched and bOIdered at a contract price of Sl1.E an acre, considerably less than the aI craze for the locality, reckoning the labor of men and teams at current rates. l.. addition, barbed wire and posts for fencing cost SG0l0; lumber fOr headASateS cost &33.5T; a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-spout two-roOin house. including five and One-half days carpenter hire, Si52.75; and a bruSh-roOf shelter for horses about S5O0 Only skilled labor employed in levelling, 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 dinaTily would be, and in this case was, fur niShed by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and make it habitable for small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required a cash outlay of about S400.GU. lm addition, in the average instance must be included a team. wagon. blow, harrow, having equip
 
 CROPS AND MARKETS.
 The erossS selected for the sca&ou Of i9J6 were Early Rose potatoes, Whlie Bermuda oaions. Rock yEoFd cantfioupes, Dwarf Cham pion and Bgrpee'S Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfssifa, besides few hills of watermelonS and sundry vegetables.
 The produce was marketed in Yuma with the esleeP PtnNa of tomatoes, which, for the largest part, were expressed to Tucson and BiEbee. ghe following statements for the various crops on the basis of Ret cash tezrhs to the SnlS,M f&FAeE, " hD with ;tE aver age family Of five and a team of horses is as s1Daed t5 dc the work required. as explained below kteIrs necessiiating cash outlay, as seed, ing water. and crates are deducted frOl1l gross returns. Water costs average of 50 cents for irFigsi ion Der acre for the crops growm- Yile yjefess i1l certain instances are low, GGe to the UnimpToved condition of the soil, which, Hke desert soils in geECidl, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White BeE1aaSda GAions; .E acres; Seed planted Sept- 2 Oct. 5, 1905. Y0ang onions transplanted, Feb 5-9, 1896. Crop matured about June r. Yield, 39l6 pounds of dry ions. Highest psice received, 2lac pound: lowest price received, lSc a pound. Entire crop marketed in Yama.
 Cash Cash OsTttAy pefUTnS.