The Arizona sentinel., 1910-05-12

OF a more renlunefaJlVe character imam InOSe
now in vogue, are essential. 1t was partly,
therefore, an object lesson bearing upon
these financial aspects of the general Situa-
iior that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil OF our tract, a warm, sandy loan
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelled, ditched and boTdered at contract
price OF Sl7.2 ~ 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 TO-. headgates cost S39.57;
pump and ~ barrel, Sl3.45; Il 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 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
dinarily 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 S40000. IN addition, in
the average instance must be included a
team, wagon. pillow, harrow, haying equip
ment shoyels 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
.pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes,
and alfalfa, besides Il few hills of watermeOnS
and suEdry vegetables.
The produce was marketed i'll Yuma with
the exception of tomatoes, which, for the
largest part, were expressed to Tucson and
Bsbee. The following statements for the
various crops are on the basis OF net cash re-
turns t., the small farmer, who with ar aver
age family of five and a team of horses is as
sumetf 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 30 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, like desert soils in general, was
low i'm nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; AZ acres; Seed
planted Sept. N-Oct. 3, l9O5 Young onions
transplanted, Feb. SO, 1901. Crop matured
about June 4. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
ions. Highest price received, 21sc q pound;
lowest price received, l.Sc a pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.
Cash Cash
outlay. returns.
Seed $780,. 2.SS
9 Irrigations in seed bed and
Sirrigations in field, about $50
Sacks and sundry, about. 2.6
1916 pounds of onions at 2.5-
l.SC -. E73.A
Net cash returns, not de-
Quoting labor. ....-..--.. $3.50
s7s.2t 1924
The amount of labor expended upon this
crop was large for the area, especially at the
tranSplan ting time. One days team work in
preparing the land and about 30 days, mems
time, were required to bring it through, al
though the work was not heavy and could
have been largely performed by boys. The
weld was low owing to the desert and unfer-
tilted character of the soil. onions requiring
large amounts of organic matter in the soil to
give good results.
EaT,y Rose potatoes: 81 acres: Seed pota-
toes planted Feb. 1919, 1906. Beginning to
bloom April IL. Crop all harvested June IL.
Yield, 26l3 pounds. Highest price, May "a,
Yuma.
outlay. returns
$50 pounds seed-potatoes and
freight on same. ........... sos
Irrigating water for sesbanfa
used as fertilizer. 2.9S
irrigations for crop. "a
Formaline for scab, includ-
ing express. .......,----.... lOO
26l5 pounds of potatoes at
SH-2Mc..--.. .-.-...,........ SOLO
Net cash returns, not de-
Quoting labor. .........,.... OLD
5000 5000
The amount of labor required for the crop
itself was about Is working days, with team
~ DAYS. The SeSbania used as green manur-
ing on the west half of the potato ground was
given II irrgations Bermuda grass, more
over fiourished beneath the sesbania to such
an extent as subsequently to require % days
labor for cleaning up the 45 acres so fertilZed
Although the larger part Of the crop came
from the sesbana fertiliZed portion OF the pO-
tatoes, this method of enriching the soil
proved very costly, q days mans time and 3
days teamwork being required to put the ses
bana under and afterwards get rid of the
Bermuda grass. NeN e"theiesS, the labor en-
tailed could easily have been managed by a
careful farmer, as the Bermuda digging was
done in January when other work was not
urgent.
Tomatoes, Dwarf Champion and Burpee's
Quarter Century; 80 acres: Seed planted in
cold-frame Feb. |. 1906 Transplant ted to field,
March l2-l5. First ripe tomatoes, June TO-
Last of marketable crop, Sept s. Yield, first
class, 1882 pounds; second class, saIable, 2249
pounds; waste, most of which could have