The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1910-01-20
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
K II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University OF Arizona,
January Is, 1907.

University OF Arizona,
January Is. 1907.
Just west of Yuma. Arizona, in the alluvial
foOd-plain Of the Colorado, lies little farm
of7.2 acres which on May |, 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. =.
Department Of Agriculture from the Old
World. The Experiment station, May 2, be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the
work of ievelling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of lo2 palms, was
completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however, that a farmer with
his living to make mean time, 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 q feasible basis from the small farm
er's 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. 1rrigating wafer from the Colorado
Valley p. & /. Canal was obtained in the GUS
tOmary manner, and +. l.. Crane, himself
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 OPP
posite of the average holdings of this locality.
The prevailing crops OF the region are alfalfa,
corn. barley, and fOrages in general, compare
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of levelling
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
irrigating system now under construction
will be about $3.50 an acre annually for ten
years. To meet these and other heavy items
of eX penSe 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-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RETALIATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil OF our tract, q warm, sandy loam
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelled, ditched and bordered at a contract
price OF Sl7.2tan 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 S60.lO; lumber for headgates cost S39.57;
a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-spout
pump and a barrel, Sl345; small lumber
two-room house, including five and one-half
days carpenter hire, $l52.75; and u 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
dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur
nished by the farmer himself
To bring this ground under cultivation and
make it habitabe for small farmer and his
family, as stated above, therefore required q
cash outlay of about $4,000. In addition, in
the average instance must be included a
team, wagon. plow, harrow, haying equip
ment shOvels hoes and other small tools.