The Arizona sentinel., 1910-04-28
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS,
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
r III. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University of Arizona,

Just west OF Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial
nOod-plain OF the Colorado, lies little farm
OF - acres which on May |, 1905, was virgin
! bott0mIand, 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 or levelling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting of I52 palms, was
completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
| Recognizing, however, that farmer with
| his living to make meantime, cannot afford
to wait for an orchard to come into bearing,
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 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 wafer from the Colorado
Valley =. & 1. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tomary manner and r.. l.. Crane, himself n
what was niCknamcd 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 in general compare
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost ofIevelling
low TWEEN ty dollars an acre at current prices
for labor and teams. Moreover the cost, ex.
elusive of maintenance, of the Government
lrr1gatlng 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 IL farm in this region, intensive crops
of 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 yvOrlx nj
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, warm, sandy loan
well adapted to gardening operations, was
leveiled, ditched and bOTdered at contract
price of Sl7.M 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 S6O.lO; lumber for headgates cost S39.57;
drive we'll point and pipe, pitcher-spout
pump and barrel, sl3.45; a small lumber
two-rOom house, including five and one half
days carpenter hire, Sl52.75; and q brush-rOof
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled
labor employed in dwelling, bordering and
d1tchfng the ground, and for part cOnstruc-
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 1t hab1table for a small farmer and his
family, as stated above, therefore required n
cash outlay of about $4,000. In addition in
team, wagon. pillow, harrow, haying 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. ROCKFORD cantaiOupes, Dwarf Cham
pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes,
and alfalfa, besides a few hills of watermelons
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
various crops are on the basis of net cash re-
turns TO the small farmer, who with ar aver
age family of five and team of horses is 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 80 cents for irrigation per acre for the crops
grown. The yields in certain instances are
low, due to the unimprOvPd condition Of the
soil, which, like desert soils in 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, 1905. Young onions
transplanted, Feb So 1906 Crop matured
about June l. Yield, 1916 pounds of dry on
ions. Highest price received, 2%c pound;
lowest price received, l.Sc Il pound. Entire
crop marketed in Yuma.
Cash Cash
outlay. returns.