The Arizona sentinel., 1910-11-03
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by K II. Forbes, Director and Chemist of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

Jdnuafy 10, lJUI.
 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial flood plain Of the Colorado, lies little farm of 7.2 acres which on May l, 1905, was virgin bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow 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 levelling, bordering and trrigating 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. lrrigating water from the Colorado Valley P. & I. Canal was obtained in the GUS tonary manner and k. L.. Crane, himself a Yuma Valley farmer, undertook the care of what was nicknamed our play farm."
 In size, as we'll 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 in general, cCmpara- lively little attention being given to yege- tables and fruits. Withal the cost of levelling
  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 S3.5O an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items of e1 pense in connection with the establish menJ 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- tfrr, hnf h tf1 rnl w n in
 RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
 The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy loam well adapted to gardening operations, was leYelled, ditched and boTdered at a contract price ofSl7.N 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 S60.lO; lumber for headgates cost SS957; d drive well point and pipe, pitcher-spOut pump and a barrel, Sl3.45; small lumber Iwo-room house, including five and one half days carpenter hire, Sl52.75 and brush-roof shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled labor employed in levelling, bordering and 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 small farmer and his family, as stated above, therefore required a cash outlay Of about s400.O0. 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. ROckyford cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides few hills Of watermeons 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 variors crops are on the basis of net cash re- turns to the small farmer, W ho 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, irrfgating water. and crates are deducted from gross returns Water costs an average Of 30 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 geE-Ial, was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally White Bermuda onions; .47 acres; Seed planted Sept. N-Oct. 5, 1905. Young onions transplanted, Feb. 5-9 I9OS Crop matured about June |. Yield, 39l6 pounds of dry On- ons Highest price received, S&e a pOund; lowest price received, I.Sc a pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.
 Cash Cash
 outlay. returns.