United States Department of Agriculture, B U R K A U OK PLANT INDUSTRY, tern Irrigation Agriculture, WASHINGTON I>. C. THE WORK OF THE YUMA RECLAMATION PROJECT EXPERIMENT FARM IN 1913. Bj R E Blair, Farm Superintendent intkoim ( iion. The Colorado River Valley lands included in the Yuma Reclamation Project lit 1 in a region of such unusual climatic conditions that their future development depends largely on the culture <>f specialized crops. The conditions are particularly favorable to such crops as COtton, alfalfa, alfalfa -eed. 6g8, date-, BWeet potatoes, and other crops which require a warm climate and which are well suited to intensive culture. The work of the Yuma Experiment Farm i- con- cerned chiefly with these crops. M «t of the experiments conducted during the seasons of 191 1 and 1912 have been continued, and several other- were inaugurated in \ ariety tests of fruits have been conducted, various strains and varieties of field crops and vegetables have been tested, and different cultural methods for the various crops have been tried. The arrangement of the fields and the location of the experiments in 1913 are shown in figure 1. The chief feature- of the progress made in 1913 are reported in this paper. " OOPERATTVE WORK. Other offices of tin- Bureau of Plant Industry have cooperated iri carrying on certain of the experiments. The Office of Acclimatiza- tion and Adaptation of Crop Plant- cooperates in the breeding and cultural experiments with cotton and in the work of acclimatizing • The Yuma Experiment Firm la tatted on 'he Tama Beetematfao Project, 7 miles north of Yuma. 1 of which : The land was mem of the I > experiment \ hrmhooH ■ m The firm h under the db !etaile.| from t!i i Astrirultiire, Diaeni of I'l r ' imishra the fun inaugurated l>> placing .-i '<<"> fool lateral of concrete draintile beneath a strongl} alkaline * i * * 1 < I . This tesl will extend over a period of 10 years. A tesl meter for accurately measur- ing the Mow uf water in an open ditch has been installed on one of the farm laterals for the purpose of making various water measure ments. ( dm. ii i<>\^ ON I Hi. PBOJ1 I i l I IM \ll< I OSDIIIONS. ither conditions during the year 1913 were generally favorable to crop growth. No severe Btorms of anj nature occurred. Some damage resulted from wind and Band storms, which in March cui off young alfalfa plants in earl} spring plantings on loose soils. The growing season opened rather late, and cold nights through April and early May retarded tin* growth of the cotton to some extent. Table 1 briefly summarizes the climatologies] observations recorded :it the experiment farm during 1913, together with the weather conditions recorded in the 1-year period during which observations lew e been made. Tabli 1 Summary of climatological observation }Tuma Experiment Farm, 1910 li> 1913, inclvu I'KKi int\th>\ • IM in lll'Ill. Apr June July. ' Dec for 1 yean. For 191 ; a 17 0.36 ■1 is .19 0.19 .00 0.13 .00 .09 n li .00 0.28 .00 0.29 .37 1.92 .Ml''-. 1n> 1 For 1"1 1 4.29 i.:i ., „i 8 n :. D HI 16 in 7 9.05 HI 9.13 9.7 : 87 i U9 7 "i i. 11 4.10 3.03 Iuii.y Him. ' Miiis in: BOVB 9.0 v 1 6.9 6.3 2.3 1 - 1 I .9 t l 3.3 3.3 2.4 1 1 7.0 11 1. 1 1.0 1.1 - .' ' 3.6 .' 1 7 1 6.0 7..1 l.:. i ; i 5 - 2.3 -' 1 7 J 4.4 2.0 1 .' 3.4 2.0 1.1 17 5.6 1 1 1.1 S 2.4 1.7 - 1 2.0 9.2 8 7 - 1 J 3.7 l B 6.3 in 7 11 1 1.7 1 n .1 3.3 2.9 1 ■> 9.9 1.8 1 ii I ii J I (911 11 7 7 I 9.3 9.6 9.3 1UJ 1910 I'll 1 7 1.1 1 i 1. t 1.3 1.8 1.7 l.D 1912 1910 1"11 . 1.0 3.9 1 1 • • ! 1 i 03 1913... • Records of precipitation duo from July 1. 1 110. ' UoconN of evaporation date from Apr. 21, 1910 » Records of wind velocity date from Slav Table 1. Summary of climatological observation* at tht Yuma Experiment Farm. 1910 to 191.}, inclusive — Continued. Monthly Temperature ("F.j. Horn. Absolute maximum: 4 years, 1910 to 1913 For 1913 Absolute minimum: 4 years. 1910 to 1913 For 1913 Mean: 4 years, 1910 to 1913 For 1913 Jan. 52.5 47.9 Feb. 81 54.6 54.6 Mar. 37.5 30 60.4 57.1 Apr. 106.5 68.2 66 May. 120 101 73.7 74 June. July. 117 108 50 78.1 tit; IIS 87.6 86.3 Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 113 109 116 113 107 96 94 90 81 75 57 57 48 48 36 36 28 37 10 24 88.5 89.1 82.5 83.3 69.9 69 60.6 62.3 51.2 51.7 Year. 120 llfi 69.2 78.3 Killing Frosts. Last in spring. First in autumn. Frost- free period. Year. Date. Minimum tempera- Date. ture. Minimum tempera- ture. 1910 F. Nov. 27 Nov. 24 Dec. 4 Dec. 2 " F. 32 32 31 31 Days. 1911 Feb. 24 Mar. 31 Mar. 28 32 32 32 262 1912 247 1913 248 1 Records of maximum and minimum temperatures date from Apr. 21. 1910. CROP CONDITIONS. Compared with the results of previous years, crop yields during the season of 1913 were high for the entire project. The Colorado River was not excessively high at any period, and the areas damaged by seepage and a high water table were small. Toward tbe close of the season these areas were benefited by the construction of an open drainage ditch by the Reclamation Service. In 1913 there were 616 farms on the project, with a total irrigable area of 32,732 acres. An area of 19,607 acres was actually irrigated. Of this, an area of 2,881 acres was devoted to orchards not yet in bearing and to other crops not harvested, so that the area from which crops were harvested amounted to 16,726 acres. Tins harvested area was larger by 5.666 acres than in 1912. Tbe total farm value of all crops on the project was $610,228 in 1913, as compared with S497,012 in 1912. The average farm value per acre in 1913 was $36.48, as compared with $44.94 a year ago. The acreage, yields, and farm values of the crops grown on the project in 1913 are shown in Table II, the figures being obtained from the Reclamation Service. /'■ i irm llnr Crap unit ■ .-.7.7111 22,000 1,128 mum in main, AU1H1 h u i 1,201 an MA 17 1,007 r..lj:i 3.60 1 1. 83 l'i. 72 119 82 J7.1.30 mil winter ( illHT ll li Pound Itllolll'l. ll.'. 97 1,700 • i i i goo 100 .111 .' M(:lll 1 torn Track 18.08 19,010 .i i ;i. 18 ■ Tot il 810,238 I pat m n (HOP EXPERIMENTS. GHBBM M vm EU 9 The experiment farm is located on land having a Boil which is fairly representative of the Yuma project. The soil is chiefly m fine Bandy loam underlain directly by a subsoil of medium-fine Band. ( Originally, pari of this land was very rough, necessitating cuts and lills in level- ing, which left many fields with a very nonuniform surface soil. The low -wales and washes which have received the surface of the nearest ridges produce luxuriantly, while the higher places from which the surface soil has been removed always produce a poor growth until the soil is built up with manures and organic matter and sill in the irrigation water. This uonuniformity in an experimental plat is even more detrimental in effect than that occurring in an ordinary field. It is necessary to correct these soil variations within a plat in order that irrigation and culture may he uniformly applied. It seems that even the most sandy of these soils contains enough silt and possesses a suflicient quantity of plant food to produce growth when the moisture content of the soil can be maintained. The water-holding capacity of this soil can be increased most econom- ically by the addition of" green manure. Alfalfa is altogether the best green-manure crop for this climate and -oil. It not only adds humus through stem, leaf, and root decay, hut deep in the Boil below the cutting plane of the plow are left many roots, and it i- in this subsoil that the addition of humus through any other method is practically impossible. However, the production of some green-manure crop is often desirable where time docs not permit the growing of an alfalfa crop. It has been found at the experiment farm that the Whip- poorwill cow pea is very desirable as a summer green-manure crop. A plat of this crop planted in duly, 1913, produced in 80 days, with the application of 2. 33 acre-feet of water, 3.9 tons per acre of green plant material to be plowed into the soil. (See fig. 2.) This was the first crop grown on fine sandy land. It is likely that earlier planting would be more desirable. The cowpea will not endure frost and can not be used for a winter crop. A selection of field peas' known as Golden Vine (S. P. I. No. 30134) withstood a minimum temperature of 16° F. during the win- ter of 1912-13 and promises to be a valuable winter-cover or green* manure crop. Fig. 2. — Plowing under a crop of Whippoorwill cowpeas as green manure at the Yuma Experiment Farm. This crop produced approximately 3.9 tons per acre of green material in 80 days in 1913. ALFALFA. Alfalfa, which is the staple crop of the project, has generally produced good yields. In some parts of the project, however, yields have fallen much below the production of former years. In these districts it has been observed that the alfalfa fields 3 or 4 years old produced the smallest yields of hay. On various fields where a study of the soil was made it appeared that neither the presence of alkali nor the nearness of the ground-water plane was responsible for this retarded growth of the alfalfa plants. All the surface soils examined in this connection were typical of the valley. They were found to range from 14 to 34 inches in depth and were immediately underlain with a very open sand subsoil. The devel- 1 The peas referred lo are often designated as Canada field pea-. opmenl of the alfalfa pool -\-tem a1 the Burface of t h«- subsoil gests 1 1 in t the subsoil is unfavorable to the plants, as they tend to rerool in the surface soil instead of producing a dpep taproot, which the alfalfa plant develops under normal conditio A record of these failing fields indicates thai during the ami second seasons of grow ih good hay yields were si cui i ery notice- able decreases. This behavior ma} indicate that the growth of the firsl two seasons « !*•- pends chieflj on the surface soil to depths of l I to 3 I inches, and at the cud of thai time, as the firsl surface roots have given waj to the deeper ones, the plant is left with it- tanroot in the open subsoil, W here moisture conditions are not sufficient!} favora- ble to Buppoi t luxuriant growth. This sugges- tion is supported by the root formation of plants in such soil-. It -cents thai the alfalfa plants tend to reestablish sur- face roots in the upper -oil to replace the deeper ones, and some plants are found with a well-devel- oped surface rool -\ stem. This condition is illus- trated by figures 3 and l. It -cents that alfalfa culture in these shallow soils niu-t be given special attention and treatment according to the depth of the stir' -oil. 1 1 may be necessary to plow under a crop of alfalfa c\ ery second or third year. In following such a method some cultivated crop should intervene for one season before reseeding to alfalfa. In this manner Bermuda irra>s or other weeds established in the alfalfa t from anil development. (Compere with lu-uro-t.) 8 fields may be eradicated. Cotton is probably the best cultivated crop to use for this purpose. The dense shade formed by the cotton plants, together with the cultivation given the crop, is very effective in eradicating Bermuda grass. Furthermore, cotton responds vigor- ously to the beneficial effects which the soil derives from the plow- ing under of alfalfa. Alfalfa for seed is now the most important money crop of the Yuma project. The season of 1913 was very favorable to seed pro- duction. The average yields were good, while some exceptionally high yields were produced. Row-planting experiments at the ex- periment farm have not yet given sufficiently uniform results to determine the advisability of planting in this manner for seed pro- duction. Further plantings have been made to test this method by ^> iTTO^I ^^H Jp 1 1 - H H 1 Fig. 4. — Alfalfa plant from shallow surfaee soil and sand subsoil, showing abnormal root develop- ment. (Compare with figure 3.) seeding rows from 4 to 28 inches apart. Fields producing seed at the experiment farm gave 40 per cent heavier yields when the second cutting was left for seed than when the third cutting was allowed to produce seed. COTTON. The importance of long-staple cotton production as an agricultural industry on the Yuma project is now generally recognized. Various cultural and breeding experiments were conducted at the experiment farm in 1913 in cooperation with the Office of Acclimatization and Adaptation of Crop Plants. Both Egyptian and Durango cotton were under trial, and several varieties and selections of Upland cotton were tested. With one exception, all commercial plantings of cotton produced on the Yuma project were of the Yuma variety of Egyptian ootton The farmers had varying nieces*, according to the culture and attention given to the crop. Much cotton was planted too late to pennil i maximum vield, while another common mistake was made in planting the seed leep to secure umform genmnation, which consequently necessitated replanting. Several significant observations were made upon the production of cotton from soil containing high percentages of alkah8dte,chiefl 3 B ulphates an.l chloride. Cotton was grown weU on certain fields where other crops had previously I n killed b 3 the presence o excessive amounts of these salts. In , case where determinations were made of the sail content it was found thai cotton gre* on a field containing more alkali in the surface 3 feet of soil than the ad ; RCOn1 fieldin which alfalfa 9eed had failed to grow. Exnerimentg in volunteering cotton have been continued. A plal of Egyptian cotton was volunf I -I gb the past winter to a Btandof 91 percent. Different planting methods have been practiced to ascertain the effect of volunteering for the following season. Uduringthe preceding year, the 2-stand roller gin at the experi- ment farm was operated b 3 the local farmers for ginning the 1913 Eevptian cotton nop. *■ ' (;h\in soit(.m m. Exoerimente conducted with corn during the seasons of 1911 and , 912 and general observations of results obtained by farmers demonstrate that this crop is no1 adapted to the .climatic conditions of the Yuma project. To supply the need of gram for working stock !U1( 1 also a. a food for poultry, grain sorghums are known in 1- very valuable substitutes for corn in certain sections Seven varieties of grain sorghums were grown m 1913 m a combmed variety and time-of-planting test. Each of these varieties wa* pjanJdonthesa^edateofeachmonthfromMarchtoJuly.mchisive Thl , highest yield obtained with each van,. v. together with the pCtlng date; which produced the best results with the different varieties in L913, are shown in I able III. IABUS iini Feterita i Sudan dnn») l>\v »rf milo Red kafli Bro\w\ kaoliang 50605°— 14 2 Bushrl*. II :v Apr. 12 M Apr. 12 me l* Black-hull kafir Shalln Dwarf Mack-hull kalir. Biuhtlt. I me l" \|T. 12 I 10 The only variety in this test excelling the commonly grown Dwarf milo was one known as feterita. As a plant where forage or silage is desired, the Red kalir seems to be the best of these seven varieties. It develops an abundance oi broad leaves, which remain green until the head is mature. Red kafir also withstands the extremely high temperatures better than any other variety tried. BROOM CORN. A half-acre planting of broom corn was made in 1913 to ascertain the relative yields and behavior of the varieties commonly cultivated. Three varieties were planted on May 8- The yields of brush were m follows: Standard, 0.29 ton per acre; Dwarf, 0.23 ton per acre; and Dwarf Standard, 0.22 ton per acre. Owing perhaps to the spotted- ness of the soil, the maturity of the brooms was very irregular within each variety and the crop could not be harvested at one cutting. HEMP. Hemp was planted in rows at varying distances apart and spaced to varying distances within the row, to determine the possibility of and the best cultural methods for producing hemp seed. There being but one small planting of seed hemp in the community, much damage was done by birds, and the yields obtained were not dependable. Hemp plants grown in very close drill rows were examined for liber, which proved to be of sufficiently good quality to compare favorably with the fiber of hemp produced in rainfall areas. SUDAN GRASS AND TUNIS GRASS. Sudan grass and Tunis grass, both recently introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture, were grown on the experi- ment farm during the season of 1913. In both cases seeding was made on May 14, which is perhaps about four weeks later than these crops should be planted. Tunis grass produced the best hay yields when grown in 3-foot rows and cultivated. On medium sandy-loam soil 4.2 tons of hay per acre were harvested in three cuttings. Sudan grass produced larger yields when seeded broadcast than when seeded in 3-foot rows. On light sandy-loam soil S tons of hay per acre were harvested in three cuttings. On heavier soils these grasses did not do so well. WATER REQUIREMENTS. During the season of 1913 approximate figures were obtained as to the quantity of water applied to the different held crops at the experiment farm. The method of measuring the water was not entirely satisfactory, but it is thought that the figures obtained are approximately correct. The results of the measurements are given in Table IV. ' 11 I \ Q and <"i n at the 1 I ' / ' \\ ,'. Alfilfi a com Hemp .in Ii will be Been thai almosl twice as much water was used by the erope grown on the light soil as bj those grown on the medium soil. These figures should noi !>r considered >is conclusn e, as il \\ ill require further invest igation t<> determine accurately the water requirements. OBCHABD r:\lMlilMi n is. ■> v 1 1 a Seedling plants representative of nine promising varieties of dates are being grown in experimental orchards. A total of 7:!7 plants weresel to orchard positions during 1913. This makes a total plant- ing of 1,687 seedling dates now included in the collection. In ad- dition. 1,000 seedlings are growing in nurserj rows. The first flowering of seedling plants occurred in the spring of 1913. Of 159 trees planted in 1911, 26 produced flowers. The greater per- centage of these were staminate tree-., bul it is frequently found thai the >t animate trees hear flowers at an earlier age than pistillate trees. I)e>pite a minimum temperature of 16 F. on January «'>. 1913, it wag found that 66 per cent of the seedling plants had received less than .">() per cent nt leaf injury. The remaining -il per cent were alh e, hut more than .">n per cent of their foliage was damaged. A hunt 1,100 2-year-old seedling plant- and 220 pounds of seed were di>- tributed free of charge during the year to II farmers of the project. PIGS. The Smyrna Adriatic fig hybrids discussed in the report of this station for the year L912 ' hope their first fruit during the summer of 1913. As stated in the report mentioned, the object of this ex- periment is to secure a -train of 1 1 i_r— which will produce a desirable fruit of the quality of the Smyrna fig without the necessity of the presence of the small wasp {Blastophaga psenes) f<>r pollinating the young fig, which the Smyrna variety requires and which it isdifficull to carry through the winters in some localities where the fig can be i The work of the 1 nlture. Bun Industry Circular 136, pp. r 12 Of the 1,600 seedlings, 54 bore and matured fruits of good quality. There were 1,219 (ices which did not flower, owing, perhaps, to in- juries received from the freeze of the preceding winter: and 327 others set small figs, but the fruit was not matured and was shed for want of pollination. Some variation in frost resistance was noted among these seedlings. Observations of frost injury were made dur- ing the two winters of 1912—13 and 1013-14. The results are given in Table V. T.\ blb V- Frost injury to fig ■-■ idlings during the "inters of 191 ?-lS and 1913—14 at th> Yuma Ei pi rum nt Farm. Minimum temperature. Unin- jured. Injured, growth killed being — Season. °K. Date L913. Less than half. More than half, but not all. Winter oi 1912-13 Hi '.'1 .Tan. ti De< Percent. 55. i 46.1 Per tint. 2.7 1.0 Per cent. 11. all danger of frosl i> over. With the exception of corn, they Bucceed hot when planted in the bed or by the r'ul\ running water in the furrows before planting and then planting seeds or plants at the water line, they will receive sufficient moisture, leaving dr\ land for the plants and maturing fruit . Corn can best be grown when planted on the flat. The ideal garden soil is a rich. warm. Band) loam, retentivi moisture hut well drained. Sandy soil will he greatly benefited h\ libera] applications of rotted stable manure. Coarser organic mate- rial mixed with the heavier soils w ill improve t heir physical condition and prevent excessive baking and cracking, which are detrimental to Small and delicate plants. Most of the varieties recommended for the Yuma project 1>\ reliable seed houses have been planted at the experiment farm in comparable tests. Some valuable information as to desirable varie- ties and cultural methods has been secured from these tests. The following brief paragraphs give the names of the varieties which have produced the besl results and make suggestions as to cultural methods: Asparagus: Conover's Colossal and '•n:nf Argenteuil. Asparagus plants are readilj grown in this region. They thrive hot in a rich sandy loam, hut can lie gTOWD profitably in heavier soil or in Band) Boil when well fertilized with stable manure. Slightly alkaline soil i> favorable to asparagus. Root plantings should he made in furrows in the earlj spring, the furrow being Idled gradually as cultivation progresses. The cutting <<( asparagus from established plantings begins in this climate about the middle of February. Bean: Burpee's Stringless Green Pod and Tepary. For string beans, Burpee's Stringless Green Pod and. for dry beans, Tepar) are prefera- ble. Most varieties of beans favorable to humid sections fail to yield desirable beans on the Yuma project owing perhaps to the extreme 14 temperature changes from day to night. Burpee's Stringless Green Pod is ]>iit one of many tested thai produces good tender pods. It is an excellent variety for spring planting. The Tepary, or native desert bean of Arizona, is especially adapted to local culture under irrigation. It may be planted almost any time from April to August. The later crops ordinarily yield heaviest. Beet: Early Model and Blood Turnip. — Many varieties of beets grow well, but perhaps these are most reliable. Cabbage: Jersey Wakefield, Winningstadt, All Seasons, and Danish Ball Head. — Of the varieties of cabbage, the first two named are espe- cially good for early planting. All Seasons is a large, late variety. The Danish Ball Head produces a round, solid head that holds up well. Cantaloupe: Rocky Ford and Emerald (rem. — Of the varieties of nniskmelons. the Rocky Ford is most popular. It yields heavily in these soils and needs no introduction in any market. For home use the Emerald Gem has great merit. While it does not yield so heavily as the Rocky Ford, it is earlier in ripening. Carrot: Oxheart. — Carrots are readily grown both on the flat and by the bed system. For rapid growth and good roots free from woody tissue they should be irrigated frequently. Casaba: Improved Hybrid and BedwelVs. — The casaba melon fruit is not widely known, but it has excellent quality and is rapidly com- ing into favor. Cauliflower: Burpee's Best Early and Dry Weather. — Only early varieties of cauliflower do well. Seed sown in September should produce plants for transplanting by October. Cauliflower requires very rich soil and a great deal of water to produce good heads. Com.— No variety of sweet corn has yet been tested which yielded satisfactorily. The flowers of the plant appear to be ''blasted" by the extreme heat. Five varieties of pop corn were planted during 1913, but no satisfactory } T ields were obtained. Cucumber: White Spine. — Cucumbers should be planted in early spring on ridges 24 inches wide. Summer plantings are often attacked by the melon aphis. Eggplant: Black Beauty. — The eggplant is very easily grown. The plants may be grown in a hotbed or seeded in the open. With frequent cultivations and sufficient moisture they will bear well through the hot summer. Kohl-Rabi: Whiti Vienna. — The kohl-rabi crop is cultivated the same as cabbage. Lettuce: Prize Head and Wonderful. — All varieties of lettuce will grow here, but the Prize Head is especially recommended for a loose head, while the Wonderful produces an excellent solid head. For the best results, a rich soil and frequent irrigations are necessary. i:» Okra: White Velvet. Okra wed Bhould be planted in warm, soil and the plantsshould be thinned to 24 inches in the row. 117,;/, Bermuda, Crystal Wax, and Australian Brov White Bermuda and Cryata] Wax onions have proved besl for earlj sort--. The Australian Brown is later, has yielded well, and kei psthe besl of all v arieties tried. ( mions produce a good w inter crop. 1 bej iu:i\ be grown l>\ either the flat or bed system. Parsnip: Guernsey. While parsnips can be grown, the quality does I1()t equal those produced in colder climates. The] maj be grown in beds i>r on the flat. />,„■ American Wonder and Yorkshire E< o. Both the varieties „,- peasnamed may be planted in the F. rhe American Wonder olt(M1 produces green peas in December. The Yorkshire Bero is a Ute variety producing Large pods and yielding abundantly. Peanut: Spaniel and Valencia. If planted in March, peanuts mW mature in five or >ix months. Thej do best in a Bandj loam soil. Pepper: Anaheim and Chinese Oiant. -The Anaheim is largelj grown for the market as a dried pepper. Peppers are easily grown, hut they require frequent irrigation and cultivation. Potato: Irish Collier, Triumph, and Early Ohio. En a half-acre planting oi six varieties of potato during the Beason of 1913, the varieties in the order mentioned above proved superior. The Irish Cobbler yielded Ear in excess of any other variety and should be planted more extensive^ on the project. The planting should be done between January 15 and February I. The quality and earli- aess of the Irish Cobbler commend it as a worthy variety. Only the earliest Varieties can be successfully produced. Puinphix: Large Cheese and Cushaw {or Crookneck). -The Large Cheese for feeding stock and theCusha* for table use are the pump- kins best adapted for this Locality. Seed Bhould be planted on borders along previously irrigated furrows. Radish: Early Scarlet Turnip and Frcm-b Hnahust. Allot the small, quick-growing sorts of radish resembling the Scarlel Turnip have been grown successfully. Spinach: Prickly - Seeded and Long - Standing. These varieties should be grown during cool weather. Spinach requires sufficient water to keep it growing continuously. Squash: Mammoth Whit, Hush Scalloped. The variety named is a good summer Bquash. The winter squashes do not do well here, as they frequently sunburn badly and do not keep well. Summer squash may be planted on ridges or on the flat. Sujeet Potato: White Vineless. The variety named has p r superior to all sueet potatoes tested. They prefer sandy loan, and succeed besl when grown on ridges about Z\ feet apart, hem- un- gated in furrows. 16 Tomato: Dwarf Champion, Burpee's Quarter Century, and Dwarf (riant. — The dwarf types of tomatoes have generally proved best adapted. Turnip: Purple Top Strap Leaf and Early White Milan. — Turnips of the varieties named can be grown during the winter either on borders or on the flat. Watermelon: Chilean, Klondike, and Kleckley Sweets. — This region is preeminently the home of the watermelon. While all varieties do well, there is a vast difference in quality. The Kleckley Sweets is excellent for earliness and for home consumption. The Chilean and Klondike arc worthy and popular varieties for market produc- tion. Fig. 5. — Row of roselle plants in early flower at the Yuma Experiment Farm, 1913. Rosette. — The roselle plant has long been cultivated in India for its fiber, but has been only recently introduced into this country. It is cultivated here for its edible, red, fleshy calyxes, which are used in making jellies and jams of rare quality. The roselle is an annual, propagated from seed and grown under cover. It is planted in the garden when all danger of frost is past, raid is set in rows 6 to 10 feet apart, with the plants 6 to 8 feet apart in the row, depending on the quality of the soil. Early and late plantings seem to mature about the same time, usually about November 15, but the early plantings grow a larger plant and produce more flowers. A row of roselle plants is shown in figure 5. ORNAMENTALS. The mild whiter temperatures of the Yuma project suggest the possibility of a great list of temperate and semitropical plants from which to choose in making ornamental plantings. Many plants that are grown in parte of southern California will, m> doubt, Buccoed, l)nt numerous others will likel) l>c found unadapted to the hoi summers and dry air. Palms have long Ik-cm successfully grown in 1 1 ■ i - region The orna mental date palm /'/...;,/ canai and the weeping fan palm Washingtonia filifera) can not be excelled for individual <»• streel plantings. Other sorts have also been planted. The desirability of an evergreen tree in Buch a climate Bhould be borne in mind in selecting varieties of U for shade or streel plant- ings. Quick growth is also desired in tree- planted in a new country. Species of Eucalyptus combine both these qualities and supply wood of value, especially for posts and fuel. The plantings of I -year-old Beedlings of desert gum {Eucalyptus rudis) did not endure the mini ilium temperature of H>° !•'. during the winter of 1912 !•'! and were killed to the ground. A splendid growth came on through the nexl season and was not injured during the past winter when the mini- mum temperature was 24 V. The most comfortably arranged desert house with screen-porch rooms should be well protected from the Bun by climbing vines. Many annuals will furnish temporary shade, hut plantings should he made of perennial evergreen climbi b permanent improvement. it is not advisable to plant a vine of too dense growth, which will prevent free circulation of air, particularly cm the south and south- Wesl sides of the house. Probably no plants are better adapted for such plantings than climbing everblooming roses. Many other vines, shrubs, and trees deserve a place in ornamental plantings when adaptable specie- and varieties are obtained. The grounds surrounding the buildings on the experiment farm are being planted with evergreen and deciduous plants. During the spring of 18 1913, 75 perennial plants were set out, representing 46 different species and varieties. Bamboo plantings made in 1911 were killed to the ground by frost in January, 1913, but during the following season they made a luxuri- ant growth, as is shown in figure 6. Approved : W.M. A. Taylor, ( 'hief of Bureau. June 4, 1914. -WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT TRINTING OFFICE: 1914 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 09216 2592