The Arizona sentinel., 1911-04-13
TIMELY HINTS
FOR FARMERS.
A Lesson In Intensive Farming by
r II. Forbes, Director and
Chemist of Agricultural
Experiment Station
University OF Arizona,

January Is, 1907.
Just west OF Yuma, Arizona, in the alluvial
food-plain of the Colorado, lies a little farm
| OF I'd acres which on May l, 1905, was virgin
bottomland, covered with saltweed, arrow
brush and creosote bushes: The original
purpose OF the tract was for planting selected
varieties or date palms imported by the u, 5,
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,
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
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 in
size. lrrlgat1ng water from the Colorado
Valley p. q l. Canal was obtained in the Gus
tomary manner and E. 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 OBJ
poSite OF the average holdings of this locality.
The prevailing crops of the region are alfalfa
corn, barley, and forages in general compara-
lively little attention being given to vege-
tables and fruits. Withal, the cost of dwelling
III GulS ItS lOl is u1RH, rarely failing De-
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 $3.50 an acre annually for ten
years. TO meet these and other heavy items
of expense in connection with the establish
ment of a farm in this region, intensive crops
OF a more remunerative character than those
now in vogue, are essential. Ii was partly
therefore, as an object lesson bearing upon
these financial aspects Of the general situa-
tiop that this cultural work was planned.
RECLAMATION OF THE GROUND.
The soil of our tract, a warm, sandy loan
wel adapted to gardening operations, was
IL Yelled, ditched and Sordered at a contract
price OF Sl7O 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 5000; lumber for headgates cost S39.57;
a drive well point and pipe, pitcher-spout
pump and n barrel, Sl3.45; a small lumber
two-roOm use, including five and One-half
days carpenter hire, 1872 70; and brush-roOf
shelter for horses, about $500. Only skilled !
labor employed in leyelling, bordering and |
ditchlng the ground and gor part construction |
of the house, is included in the above eSimoteS |
as the chmmon labor required ordinarily would |
be, and Ia this case was furnished by 4he farm
CT himself
To bring this ground under cultivation and |
ma e IL habitablc for a small farmer and his .
family, as stated above, therefore required
cash outlay of about $4,000. In addition, in