The Arizona sentinel., 1911-02-09
TIMELY HINTS
 FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson in Intensive Farming by R ii. Forbes, Director ard Chemist Of Agricultural
 Experiment Station
University of Arizona, ,IanuarV Ia. lNT.


 Just west of Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial fCod plain of the Colorado, lies a little farm | of 7.2 acres winch on May l, 1905, was virgin bottomani, covered with saltWeed, arrow brush and creosoie bushes The original purpose of the tract was for planting selected varieties Of date palms imported by the U. S. Department Of Agriculture from the Old World. The Experiment station, May 2, be- gan preparing the ground, and OH May 70 the work of levelling, bordering and irrigating the tract and the planting or l52 palms, was com pleted.
 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, ! it was planned to plant crops for quick re- turns between the tree-rOws thus putting the work on feasible basis from the small farm CTS point of view In order to ecOnoniZe 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 F. x l. Canal was obtained in the GUS tonary manner and E. l.. Crane, himself a Yuma Valley farmer, undertook tie care of what was Eicknamed our play farm."
 In size, ;1s well as in the intensive character Of he work planned, this farm" is the op- poSite of the average holdings of this locality. Tie prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa, corn, barley, and fOrageS ill general, comrara- lively little attention being given to yege- tables and fruits. Withai, the cost of ieVeliing land in this region is high, rarely falling be- 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 S3.50 an acre annually for ten years. To meet these and other heavy items Of eEpepSe in connection with the establish IneuJ of farm ill this region, intensive crops of more TemunPratiVe character than those now i'll vogue, are essential. 1t was partly, therefore, as aE object lesson bearing upon these financial aspects Of the general sitUa- tin" that this cultural work was planned. RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND. The soil of our tract, a Warm, sandy lOanI well adapted to gardening operations, was levelled, ditched and hOrdered at contract price of Sl7.2O an acre, considerably less than the aI craze for the locality, reckoning the labor of men and teams at current rates. In addition, barbed wire and posts for fencing cost S6U. lu; lumber for headgateS cost SS957; a drive well point and pipe, a pitcher-Spo pumR and a barrel, Sl3.45 a snIaii lumber two-roon house, including five and one half days carpenter hire, Sl5270; and a brusE-roof shelter for horses, about S500 Only skilled labor employed ill leTelling, bordering and ditching the ground, and for part construc- tion of tue 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 cash outlay of about S400.00. In addition, in the average instance must be included team, wagon. blow, harrow, having equip ment shovels hoes and other small tools.
 CROPS AND MARKETS.
 The crops selected for tLe season Of 1906 were Early Rose potatoes, White Bermuda onions, Koclyford cantaioupes, Dwarf Cham pion and Burpee's Quarter Century tomatoes, and alfalfa, besides few hills Of wateriaelOnS and suEdry 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 ar aver age family or five and a team of horses is aS- stunned 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 iu ger.Idl. was low in nitrogen and organic matter. Some small salty areas also affected yields locally.
 White Bermuda onions; fl acres; Seed planted Sept 27-Oct. g. 1905 Young onions transplanted, Feb. 5-9, 1908. Crop n1atured about June l. Yield, S96 pounds Of dry on- iOns Highest price received, 2lsc a pound; lowest price received, l.Sc a pound. Entire crop marketed in Yuma.