The Arizona sentinel., 1910-08-25
IIMELY NINTS
 FOR FARMERS
A Lesson In intensive Farming by R II. Forbes, DiTe1tor and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment. Station
University of Arizona,
 innni1n r-nr ln llhfT

J2nuary l5, l9W.
 Just west Of Yuma, Arizona, in the aEuvial flood plain Of the Colorado, Iies little farm of 7.2 acres which cn May l, 1905, vas virgin bUttoInland, covered with Sa'tweed, arrow f o he was og srscted varieties Of date palms imported by the C. <. department of Agriculture from the Old VI orld. Tue Experiment station, May ?, be- gan preparing the ground, and on May 20 the woTl; cf evcn.!g, bordering and iTrigating the tract and the planting Of l52 palms, was completed.
 THE PLAN OF WORK.
 Recognizing, however, that a farmer with his living 10 make meantime, cannot afford 10 wait for al orchard to come into bearing, it was planned to plan: crops fer quick re- turns between the .rCc-roWS, thus putting the work on a feasible basis from the small farm CTS point of view. in order to economize ground the rrigating borders were so placed as 70 coincide with the rows of palms, thus utilizing space otherwise usually wasted. Tie tract was divided by the Borders into lands, for the most part one-half an acre in size. lTriEating water from the Colorado Valley r. {; l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tomary manner and <. L. Crane, himsclfa Yuma Valley farmer, undertook tie care of what was nicknanled our play farm"
 In size, as wei as in the intensive character of the work planned, this farm' Is the op- pOSite oi the average holdings of this locality. The prevailing crops of thc region are a!falfa, corn, barley, and forages in general, cOmparft- lively little attention being given to Eege- tables and fruits. WithaI, the cost of lcYclling land in thls region Is high, rarely falling be- low tWeHt ty doiiaIS 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 S3.O an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of eXpcrSc in connection with the establish mcllt of a farm in this region, intensive crops of a more renuneratiVe character than those now i'll yogue, are essential IL was partly, therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon these financial asrccts of the general situa- tior that this cultural work was planned. RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND. The soil Of our tract, warm, sandy loanl well adapted to gardening operations, was iCVelleti, ditchcd and bordeTCd at a contract price of lT.2: :ln acre, considerably less than the average for the locality. reckoning the r labor of men and teams at current rates. In addition, baTDed wire and posts for fencing cost SG0.I0; lumber for hcadGatcS cost ES9.57; a drive well point and iipe a pitchCT-SpouI pump and d barrel SI3.+r small lumber tWO-roOm house, including live aEd Cnc- half days carpenter hire, Sit2.75 and t bTGSll-rO0f shelter for horses, about S3.0. Only skilled laOor employed Ill lCHelilIlg, bordering and ditching thc ground, and for part cOnstruc- ton Of the house, i5 included in the above estimates, as the cominon labor required or dinarily would be, and in this case was, fur nisheG by the farmer himself
 To bring this ground under cultivation and make it habiiable for small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required cash outlay Of about StOG.G0. In addition, in the average instance must be included q team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip
 
 CHOPS AND MARKiGTS.
 Tho crops selected for the season Of I99G were Early Rose potatoes, White Befmnda onions. Rock yford cantaioupeS, Dwarf Cham pion aud Durpcc's Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides few hills CT waiCrmeiOns and sundry vegetables.
 TEe produce was marketed ill Yuma with the exception of tomatoes, which, for the largest part, were expressed tO Tucson and Disbce. The following statements for the various crops are on the basis Of net cash Ie- turns 10 the small farmer, who with al. aver age fanlily Of live and a team of horses is aG- stunned to do the work required. as explained below. Items ncceSsitating cash outlay, as seed, irrigating water. and crates are deducted from gross returns. Water costs an average of j0 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops grown. The yields in certain instances are low, due to the unimproved condition of the soil, which, like desert soils in ger yIai, was low in nitrogen and organic matter Some small salty areas also affected yields locally. White Bermuda onions; 1T acres; Seed planted Sept z4 Oct. 3, 1905. Young onions transpaaDted, Feb, 5-9, l9G. Crop matured about June {. Yield, SSl6 pounds Of dry on- ions. Highest price received, 21hc a pound lowest price received, l.Sc pound. Entire crop marketed in EG:na.
 Cash Cash