The Arizona sentinel., 1910-01-06
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson I'm Intensive Farming by
K ii. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University OF Arizona,
January l5, 1907.


January Is, 1907.
Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial
food-plain of the Colorado, lies little farm
of 10 acres which on May !, 1905, was virgin
bottonaland, 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. y.
department of Agriculture from the Old
World. The Experiment station, May 2, be-
gan preparing the ground, and on May % the
work of levelling, bordering and irrigating
the tract and the planting OF lJ2 palms, was
completed.
THE PLAN OF WORK.
Recognizing, however that q farmer with
his living to make mean ntime 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
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 i'm
size. lrrigating water from the Colorado
Valley p. d |. Canal was obtained in the GUS
tOmary manner, and K. l.. Crane, himself a
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 locait y.
The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa,
corn, barley, and fOrageS IN general, cOmpaIa-
lively little attention being given to vee'e-
tables and fruits. Witha, the cost of levelli lg
land i'll this region Is high rarely falling be-
low TWEEN ty dollars an acre at current prices
for labor and teams. Moreover the cost, ex-
elusive of maintenance, OF the Government
1rrlgattng system now under construction
will be about S3. so 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 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.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, q warm, sandy loan
well adapted to gardening operations, was
levelled, ditched and bordered at a contract
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. 10; lumber fOY headgateS cost SD 81
a drive we'll point and pipe q pitcher-spout
pump and barrel, Sl3.45; small lumber
two-rOom house, including five and one. half
days carpenter hire, s;52.75; and "a brush-roof
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled
labor employed in levelling, bordering and
ditching the ground, and for part conStruc-
tion 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
faElily, as stated above, therefore required
cash outlay of about $4,000 In addition, in
the average instance %must be included q
team, wagon. plow, harrow, haying equip
-'ent shovels hoes and other small tools.
-EfSoF.s AND NARKETs.
The crops selected for the season COG
were Early Rose potatoes, White
onions. Rock ford cantaf0iIpes, DWar
pion and Burpec's Quarter Century e
and alfalfa, besides n few hills of wssltS
and sundry vegetables.
The produce was marketed in Yuma ~
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 ali aver
age family of five and 81 team of horses is as
snmed 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 50 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 general, was
low i'll nitrogen and organic matter. Some
small salty areas also affected yields locally.
White Bermuda onions; At acres; Seed
planted Sept 27-Oct. 3, 1905 Young onions
transplanted, Feb. SO, 1906. Crop natured
about June l.. Yield, 1916 pounds Of dry on
Ions. Highest price received, pic pound;
lowest price received, 1.Sc pound. Entire
crop marketed In Yuma.