The Arizona sentinel., 1910-10-27
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by K ii. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

January l5, l9UT.
 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the ailuvial | f1oOd-plaip Of the Colorado, lies a little farm | of 7.2 acres which on May l. 1905, was virgin ] bottomand, covered with saltweed, arrow | brush and creosOte bushes. The original l purpose Of the tract was for planting selected varieties Of date palms imported by tile U. S. l Department of Agriculture from the Old World. The EX pertinent station, May 7, be- gan preparing the ground, and or May 20 the
 work of levclling bordering and irrigating
 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, l 1t was planned to plant crops for quick re-
 turns between the tree-rows, thus putting the work on feasible basis from the small farm erS point of view In order to cconomiZe 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-haif an acre in
 size. lrrigating water from the Colorado Valley F. & 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 i 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, com para 1 lively little attention being given to vege- tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of levclllng | 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 l will be about S. 50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items | of exp xperSe 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. 1t, was partly, | therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon | these financial aspects of the general situa-
 tio" that this cultural work was planned. RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, warm sandy loan, well adapted to gardening operations, was levelled, ditched and bordered at contract | price of Sl7.2i an acre. considerably less than
 the average for the locality, reckoning the | labor of men and teams at current rates. In addition, harbed wire and posts for fencing cost S60 10; lumber fer headgateS cost S39.57 a drive well point and pipe, pitcher-spout pump and a barrel, Sl3i5 a small lumber two-Ioom house, including five and one half days carpenter hire, Sl5275; and q bruSh-rOof shelter for horses, about $500 Only skilled | labor employed Tn leTelllng, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part cOnsruc- ton of the house, is included in the above estimates, as the common labor required or dinariy would be, and in this case was, fur niShed by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and
 make it habitabe for a small farmer and his family, as stated above, ,StherefOre required a cash outlay of about St00.00. Tn addition, in the average instance must be included team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip ment ShOvelS hoes and other small tools. CROPS AND MARKETS.
 The crops selected for line season. of iG06 were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda onions. nckytord cantaiOupes, Dwarf Cham pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides d few hills of waterlnelOns and Sundry vegetables.
 The produce was marketed in Yuma with the exception of tomatoes, which, for the largest part, were expressed to Tucson and Bisbec- The following statements for the YariOtsS crops are on tbe basis of net cash sUTItS to the small farmer, who wish aE aver age falhily of five and a team of horses is
 s1nteG te do the work required. as explained below. Items neceSSitating cash outlay,
 seed, iFrigating water, and crates are deducted | from gross returns. Water costs an average
 ef 50 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops | grown. The yields in certain instances are low, Cue tO tlle uninSprOyed condition of the soil, which, like desert soils in geE1Ial, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White BernfsdS onionS: .47 acres; Seed planted Sept. S7-Oct- 5, 1905. Young onions ! transpTSntes{, Feb 5-e l9gs Crop matuFed about June !. Yield, 3Si6 pounds of dry on- ions. Highest price received, 2lac a pound; 1 lowest price received, lSe q pound. Entire ! crop marketed fN Yuma.
 Cash Cash outlay. returns.