The Arizona sentinel., 1910-12-01
TIMELY .KINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
R ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

January 10, lJUI Just west Of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial fiood-plain Of the Colorado lies little farm of 7.2 acres which on May l, l9O5 was virgin bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow brush and cTeoSote bushes. The original purpose of the tract was for planting selected varieties Of Gate palms imported by the U. S Department of Agriculture from the Old World. The Experiment station, May 7, be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 29 the wori< Of levPling, bordering and irrigating the tract and the planting of l52 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that 8 farmer with his living to make meantime, 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 feasible basis from the small farm CTS point of view. In order 10 economiZe ground the irrigating borders were so placed as 10 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. lTrigating water from the Colorado Valley P. & 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 farn.'
 Im 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 ill general, cOmpara- lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of leVeillng land in this region is high, rarely falling be- low twen ty dollars an acre at current prices for 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 expense in connection With the establish menJ of farm in thiS region, intensive crops of a more renunerative character than those now in vogue, are essential. It was partly, therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects of the general siiua- tiO" that this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, was levelled, ditched and bOrdered at contract price of Sl72O an acre, considerably less than the aN craze for the locality, reckoning the labor Of men and teams at current rates. In cost S00lG; lumber for headgateS cost S39.57 d drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-Spout pump and a barrel, Sl3.45; a small lumber two-room house, including five and one-half days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and a brush roof shelter for horses, about S5.OO. 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 Q small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required cash outlay Of about S400OO. In addition, in the average instance must be included 9 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, RockyfoTd cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides few hills Of watermelonS 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 to the small farmer, who with ar aver age family of five and a team of horses is as sumed 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 50 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 ge!.-Ial, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally.
 White Bermuda onions; .47 acres; Seed planted Sept. 27-oct. 3, 1905. Young onions transplanted, Feb. 5-9, l9@.; Crop matured about June l. Yield, 39ij pounds of dry on ions. Highest price received, 2Isc a pound: lowest price received, lSc a pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.