Grass Seeding

Photograph of plainting Blue Panicum with grassland drill.
Date: July 2, 1955
Creator: Malton, Charles
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Windbreak

Photograph of a windbreqak and post lot of Black Locust trees planted in 1937. Trees have been cultivated and have attained an excellent growth. Owner first cooperated with the Checotah Camp who furnished labor to set out the trees and he is now a cooperator and member of the Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors.
Date: September 25, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Kudzu North Canadian River

Photograph of Kudzu for erosion control on bank of North Canadian River. Crews were set out by CCC in 1940.
Date: September 25, 1943
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Erosion Control

Photograph of a large alkali spot and gullies in a field that has been abandoned for five years. The original cover was good blue stem grass with a heavy sod and was broken out for cultivation in 1909. OK-5616.
Date: April 22, 1937
Creator: Hufnagle, Richard W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of cattle grazing on NK-37 Bermuda grass planted on May 30, 1958. Planted in 4 inch flat furrows 16 inches apart. 2 pounds of seed per acre. 150 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer applied per acre at time of planting. Grass was 12 inches high 6 weeks after planting. 50 cows and 23 calves turned onto pasture on July 6, 1958. Soil Mapping name--Stidham very fine sandy loam. Badly eroded abandoned cropland. OK-725-10.
Date: July 9, 1958
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of the fertilizing of a contour-cultivated field with the application of barnyard manure. OK-8705.
Date: February 3, 1944
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of an unidentified man engaged in contour and terrace plowing. OK-8698.
Date: February 4, 1944
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph showing native meadow management. Meadow in good condition. Late June moving practiced on this meadow since 1955. Late June mowing has been practiced on this meadow since 1955, resulting in higher quality hay and increased yield from 3/4 ton per acre to 1 1/4 ton per acre in 3 years. Roy Fisher and Soil Conservation Specialist Neal Stidham are in this photo. OK-890-11.
Date: July 20, 1959
Creator: Price, Neil
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Clearance, Cultivation & Brush and Weed Control

Photograph of brush eradication. Sprayed (using a Basal Treatment—an oil soluble herbicide is mixed with an oil carrier instead of water and applied to the plants) in February, 1957. Large tree had circle hacked with an axe, small trees had only a spray band 1 foot wide at the base of the tree. A 2-4-5T herbicide gave a 100% kill. The Soil Conservation Service [SCS] recommends this use of the herbicide over mechanical removal as it reduces resprouting. OK-579-9.
Date: November 5, 1957
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of sand deposits in channel of Canadian River in Oklahoma. This is an example of the way sediment is washed into creek and river channels by rain pouring down over eroded, unvegetated lands, creating serious flood hazards. OK-8121.
Date: 1938
Creator: Davis, D. O.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of Bermuda grass. Midland Bermuda sprigged on June 14, 1957. Fertilized with 150 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer at planting. Complete coverage over portion of the field in the first year. Weeds removed mechanically. Soil Conservation Service personnel observes growth increase over common Bermuda. A farmer says, “This would have made complete coverage if planted earlier.” Contrasting growth of common and Midland Bermuda. Midland greening up after a killing frost of the previous week. OK-579-5.
Date: April 11, 1957
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of gully control. New gullies starting to form after old gully was leveled and sodded. Inadequate maintenance and also the difficulty in establishing vegetation are the causes. See OK-320-11. OK-684-4.
Date: May 12, 1958
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Trees, Tree Farms, Woodlands, and Forests

Photograph of Black Locust trees planted in February, 1955, They are 6 months old and range between 6 and 8 feet tall. Watermelons were planted in order to give the trees the necessary cultivation. OK-151-3.
Date: August 9, 1955
Creator: Evans, C. A.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Wildlife Area

Photograph of Locust trees and a strip of Bicolor lespedeza between trees and multiflora rose. Trees fertilized in spring 1958 with 200 lbs. 0-20-0 per acre.
Date: May 13, 1958
Creator: Price, Neil
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Multiflora Rose Seed Crop

Photograph of Multiflora Rose Seed Crop. Excellent food for wildlife as well as shelter. 4 acre area established spring 1955 under supervision of SCS technicians.
Date: July 10, 1958
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Highway Improvement

Photograph of resectioning work on highway. To be followed with later pictures when grass is well established.
Date: November 30, 1938
Creator: Hufnagle, Richard W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Highway Erosion Control

Photograph of a roadside ditch that has been resectioned and sodded to Bermuda in 1938 for stabilization of erosion.
Date: September 25, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Johnnie Whitson Co-Op.

Photograph of planting Blue Panicum with grassland drill. OK-68-2.
Date: July 2, 1955
Creator: Melton, Charles
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Erosion Control

Photograph of a large alkali spot and gullies in a field that has been abandoned for five years. The original cover was good blue stem grass with a heavy sod and was broken out for cultivation in 1909. OK-5616.
Date: April 22, 1937
Creator: Hufnagle, Richard W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farm Homes

Photograph of Mrs. B.B. Hornsby (center) pouring coffee for her husband (left) and son, Jack (right), after the men have spent a hard day in the fields. Jack, age 18, looks over the bonds purchased by his father during the 4th War Loan Drive. The Hornsby family has purchased a total of $3,370 in bonds. Mr. Hornsby says, it all come off the farm where he has established a complete soil and moisture conservation program, "Without what I have done in trying to save my poor, old land, I couldn't have done it, boys. I couldn't have done it farming the old way." OK-8706.
Date: February 3, 1944
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of the sprig sodding of Bermuda grass on retired land. Works Progress administration [WPA] labor is utilized in sodding as cooperator covers furrows with a go-devil sled. 4% slope. Dougherty very fine sandy loam soil. Ok-8067.
Date: March 13, 1940
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Clearance, Cultivation & Brush and Weed Control

Photograph of aerial spraying. Oak timber sprayed in late June 1956 and 1957. Two years after, the second application still had an 80% kill on oak trees and brush. Trees die the year following chemical application. Range condition class before treatment was Poor Coalition Now, it is in Good Condition and being used. Soil Conservation Service technicians Neal Stidham and Mack Keathley are shown in the photo. OK-890-12.
Date: July 26, 1959
Creator: Price, N. E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of cattle grazing on NK-37 Bermuda grass planted on May 30, 1958. Planted in 4 inch flat furrows 16 inches apart. 2 pounds of seed per acre. 150 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer applied per acre at time of planting. Grass was 12 inches high 6 weeks after planting. 50 cows and 23 calves turned onto pasture on July 6, 1958. Soil Mapping name--Stidham very fine sandy loam. Badly eroded abandoned cropland. OK-725-10.
Date: July 9, 1958
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of increased beef production through the retirement of upland cultivated land to Bermuda grass pasture as reported by Mr. R. L. Simpson, Jr. of Eufaula, Oklahoma. 25 Aberdeen Angus cattle grazed on 26 acres of this Bermuda pasture from early spring until late fall. In March or April, 1940, pasture was sodded and then 350 pounds of 20% superphosphate fertilizer per acre was spread, then overseeded to lespedeza in 1941 and then to yellow hops and bur clovers in the fall of 1942. 14 acres described as “almost blow sand” were taken out of cultivation; another 14 acres were low lying drains that had developed brush and sprouts but which were cleared. Cattle grazing pasture which was still in good condition at the time of the photograph was taken. OK-8411.
Date: October 7, 1942
Creator: Webb, C. G.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History