The Arizona sentinel., 1910-12-15
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS,
R H.. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University Of Arizona,

January Is, 1907.
 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial fiood-plain Of the Colorado, lies a little farm of 7.2 acres which on May l, 1905, was virgin bottomland, 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. S. Department of Agriculture from the Old World. The Experiment station, May 2, be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 70 the work of levelling, bordering and lrrigatlng the tract and the planting of l52 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that a 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 a feasible basis from the small farm CTS 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. lrrgating water from the Colorado Valley P. & l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tomary manner and k. 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 fOrages ill general, compara- lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits. Withal, the cost Of levelllng 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 the Government iIrigatng system now under construction will bc about $50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of xpense in connection with the establish ment Of a farm in this region, intensive crops of a 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 situa- tinn that this cultural work was planned.
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil Of our tract, warm, sandy lOam well adapted to gardening operations, was lcvelled, ditched and bordered at contract price Of sl7.2O 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 S60lO; lumber for headgates cost SS957; a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-SpOut pump and a barrel Sl3.4j; a small lumber two-room house, including five and one half days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and a brush-roof shelter for horses, about S50O Only skilled labor employed in levelling, bordering and Gitching 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 a small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required a cash outlay of about S400.M. In addition, in 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. ROckytord 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 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 50 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops grown. The yields in certain instances are low, clue to the unimprOved condition of the soil, which, like desert soils in geEUIal, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White Bermuda onions; AT acres; Seed planted Sept. NOct. 3, l905 Young onions transplanted, Feb 5-9, l9O6. Crop matured about June ]. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on- ions. Highest price received, 2Ic pound; lowest price received, l.Sc pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.
 Cash Cash
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