Chickaskia River Flood

Photograph of Chickaskia River flood in July 1951 badly pot-holed this field. Charles A. Hollpopeter (rt), district supervisor and SCS technician Willis H. Milton made check of damage. River channel is in background along row of trees. L. C. Moore Estate.
Date: August 10, 1951
Creator: Fox, Lester
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Livestock

Photograph of cattle grazing upon rye and vetch. Purebreed Hereford cattle are grazing on rye and vetch on the Mike Schlitz farm. He has run 160 head of cows and calves on this 40 acres of rye and vetch from March 1, 1956 upto the present when this picture was taken [July 9, 1956]. There has been less than two inches of rain on the vetch crop, yet, the vetch produced an abundance of grazing and the cattle were in excellent condition. Program of soil building crops began in 1937 with the assistance of T-Bone McDonald, Assistant State Conservationist of Oklahoma. Mr. Schlitz has continually used rye and vetch since that date. OK-307-10.
Date: July 9, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Soils, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation & Crop Management

Photograph of soil (noting condition). Plow pan is completely separated from tilled soil above and subsoil below. Pan is approximately 1 inch thick on soil unit 6. This condition was formed by 40 years of cropping to soil depleting crops. Sample was taken from a field where poor land use practices were followed. OK-329-12.
Date: July 29, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Trees, Tree Farms, Woodlands, and Forests

Photograph of trees for wind protection. Cross-sectional view of two year-old planting of Chinese Elm and Red Cedar. Shows staggered setting of trees to prevent wind from blowing through shelter belt. When trees mature the wind in its entirety will be sealed out. OK-306-8.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Trees, Tree Farms, Woodlands, and Forests

Photograph of a one-year-old planting of trees on the north side of farmstead to be used as a shelter belt. Two rows on the left are Chinese elm with with one row of cedar in row to the right. OK-229-7.
Date: March 28, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Trees, Tree Farms, Woodlands, and Forests

Photograph of tree planting for the protection of farm building. This is a two-year-old tree planting. Trees are adequately spaced and rows are spaced to give sufficient distance for cultivation for three years. Species used are Chinese Elm and Red Cedar, the latter planted on the north side. OK-306-9.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of crop residue management. Discing down crop stubble and incorporating it into the top soil to reduce evaporation and runoff. Soil Conservation program began in 1948. OK-308-3.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of a grassed waterway. This waterway was constructed in February, 1956 and was sprigged to Bermuda grass on March 14, 1956. A very successful stand of Bermuda was established. Fanchier was assisted by the Soil Conservation Service’s in-planning program. OK-306-7.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hay and Pasture Crop Rotation

Photograph of Hereford calves grazing first year alfalfa on 20 acres cut off by electric fence. Four head of calves placed on pasture April 10 and remained until date of photo, May 13, 1958. From that time 20 head have been grazing. These 20 are barely keeping up with new growth. Calves will remain on pasture until such times as it seems necessary to remove them to get one good cutting of hay in addition to pasture.
Date: May 13, 1958
Creator: Chance, R. J.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Conservation Crop Rotation (2)

Photograph of Harry Bathurst standing in wheat crop that has prospects for 1958 of 30 bushels per acre. Following sweetclover produced for seed 1956-57. Sweetclover production seed of 5.8 bu. Per acre. Eight hives of bees were used to polinate sweetclover
Date: May 13, 1958
Creator: Chance, R. J.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Crop Stubble Management

a tandem disk being used to cut down the stubble and incorporate it into the top soil immediately following harvest. This method mulches soil and reduces evaporation and runnoff. Soil Conservation Service established waterways on this farm this year.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Crop Rotation Hay and Pasture

Photograph of Hereford calves grazing first year alfalfa on 20 acres cut off by electric fence. Four head of calves placed on pasture April 10 and remained until date of photo, May 13, 1958. From that time 20 head have been grazing. These 20 are barely keeping up with new growth. Calves will remain on pasture until such times as it seems necessary to remove them to get one good cutting of hay in addition to pasture.
Date: May 13, 1958
Creator: Chance, R. J.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Conservation Crop Rotation

Photograph of Harry Bathurst standing in wheat crop that has prospects for 1958 of 30 bushels per acre. Following sweetclover produced for seed 1956-57. Sweetclover production seed of 5.8 bu. Per acre. Eight hives of bees were used to polinate sweetclover.
Date: May 13, 1958
Creator: Chance, R. J.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Bees are Swarming (2)

Photograph of Sweetclover in a cropping system to improve organic matter and soil stucture. Uses honey bees to polonize the clover for seed production. Bees are Swarming. One swarm has just settled on fence post, leaders come to direct their swarm to thei
Date: July 5, 1957
Creator: Chance, R. J.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of a "before picture." This ten acre field situated in a small valley was so severely eroded in the rains and flood of October 2, 1955, that it was planned to sod the whole fied to bermuda grass. Floodwater removed the soil over much of the area to plow depth and deeper in a few places. OK-204-7.
Date: December 15, 1955
Creator: Rule, G.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Soils, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation & Crop Management

Photograph of two soil samples. The left shows deterioration due to 40 years of soil depleting cropping systems. The right by contrast shows a good soil sample where good grass rotation have been practiced. Note the color and the structure of the samples. OK-328-4.
Date: July 29, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Soils, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation & Crop Management

Photograph of soil (noting condition). Profile of soil under poor land treatment (left) in contrast with soil under excellent cropping system (right). The poor treatment of above shows poor structure and low organic matter. The good treatment shows good structure and very high organic matter. OK-329-1.
Date: July 29, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Soils, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation & Crop Management

Photograph of soil (noting condition). Plow pan is completely separated from tilled soil above and subsoil below. Pan is approximately 1 inch thick on soil unit 6. This condition was formed by 40 years of cropping to soil depleting crops. Sample was taken from a field where poor land use practices were followed. OK-328-1.
Date: July 29, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of wheat. Wheat on this farm produced 40 bushels per acre with less than two inches of moisture during the growing season. Moisture was conserved from a 7 inch rain that fell before planting time by good crop residue management. Mr. Eber Heady, seen here, is a supervisor of the western Kay County Soil Conservation District. OK-306-2.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of Austrian winter peas. Legume rotation of Austrian winter peas grown in rotation with wheat. OK-308-8.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of Bermuda pasture. Purebred polled Hereford cattle grazing on Bermuda grass. Cow and calf have grazed Bermuda during the summer. OK-558-2.
Date: October 7, 1957
Creator: Rowlett, Olen
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of the Leslie Welsh Ranch showing Bermuda pasture. Purebred polled Hereford cattle are grazing on Bermuda grass. Cow and Calf have grazed Bermuda during the summer. OK-558-2.
Date: October 7, 1957
Creator: Rowlett, Olen
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Soils, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation & Crop Management

Photograph of showing preparation to stop soil blowing. A farmer is making last minute preparations on a tractor pulling spring-tooth harrow to stop the soil from blowing. A program of crop residue management and legume rotation could have prevented this last minute operation. OK-396-7.
Date: October 24, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of a waterway. Waterway was constructed in February, 1956, and sodded in March to Bermuda. Designed by the Soil Conservation Service. OK-306-6.
Date: July 3, 1956
Creator: Baggett, Beryl
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History