The Arizona sentinel., 1910-01-13
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
r III. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University of Arizona,
Jaauary l5, 1907.

Jahuary 10, 1907.
Just west of Yuma, Arizona. in the alluvial
food plain OF the Colorado, lies a little farm
of 10 acres which OH May 1, 1905, was virgin
bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
brush and creosote bushes. Toe 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 levelling, 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,
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
er'S point of view. In order to ecOnOmiZe
ground the irrigating borders were so placed
IS to coincide with the rows OF palms, thus
= ilizing space otherwise usually wasted.
- lie tract was divided by the borders into
lands, for the most part Une-half an acre in
size. lrrigatng water from the Colorado
Valley p. & L. Canal was obtained in the GUS
tOmary manner, and E. Il. Crane, himself q
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 ~ general, com pa rll-
lively little attention being given to vegp-
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, eS-
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 expense in connection with the establish
ment of farm in this region, intensive crops
OF a more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential It was partly
fhprpfnrp q 9 nhippt lesson hearing nDnn
these financial aspects of the general situa-
ton, that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, warm, sandy loam
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelled, dtched snd bordered at a contract
price OF S17. % 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 S60IO; lumber for headgates cost S3g.57;
pump and u barrel, sl3.I5; u small lumber
two-room house, including five and one. hall
days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and a brush-roOf
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled
labor employed i'll levelling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part cOrstruc.
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 dOOVe, tueFeIOre required q
cash outlay of about S40000. In addition, in
the average instance must be included a
team wagon. plow, harrow, hRying equip.
ment shOvels hoes and other small tools.
CROPS AND MARKETS.
The crops selected fot the season OF 1906
were Early Rose potatoes, Willie Bermuda
onions. Rockyford cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpees Quarter Century tomatoes,
and alfalfa, ,besides IL few hills of watermelons
and SundrV 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 le-
turns to- the small farmer, who with an aver
age family OF five and n team of horses IL as
sumed 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 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 i'll CEREAL, was
low In nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected Yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; AZ acres; seed
planted Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 1906 Young onions
transplanted, Feb. so, 1906. Crop matured
about June /. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry OF
ions. Highest price received, 2lzc q pound;
lowest price received, 1.SC pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma