Photograph of District Supervisor G. G. Goss using a tractor to combine rye and vetch for seed. The back of the photograph proclaims, “Combining rye and vetch for seed. This land has been in cultivation for 41 years. (G. G. Gross on tractor). Per Acre Yield: Unfertilized: 214# Abruzzi Rye Seed, 66# vetch, Fertilized: 224# Abruzzi rye seed, (120# superphosphate), 620# vetch seed, Cost of fertilizer, $1.65 per acre. Green Tonnage: Unfertilized: 3,079# rye, 103# vetch, Fertilized: 3,511# rye, 8,494# vetch. Total: Unfertilized, 1.59 tons per acre, Fertilized, 6.01 tons per acre. (The increase was 432# rye, 8,391# vetch). At 14 cents per lb. for vetch seed and 4 ½ cents per lb. for rye seed, the unfertilized crop amounted to $18.87 per acre. On fertilized land the per acre return was $96.88. The fertilizer made an increase in profit of $76.46 per acre.”

Photograph of two UNIDENTIFIED men standing in a class III rangeland. The back of the photograph proclaims, “Class III range land. Blue grama grass is very low state of vigor. Invaders are numerous including muhly grass, fluff grass, three-awn, and perennial broomweed. Erosion, moderate to severe indicating that permanent damage is occurring. Recovery on this type of range will be slow, although much change toward the more desirable species can be expected when the use of range is based upon preserving the grama grasses.”

Photograph of roots, leaves and seed heads of red plantains {USDA: redseed plantains*], one of several small plants called tallow weed. TX-46, 888. *https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_plrh.pdf

Photograph of a Smooth Brome grass plant, approximately 30 inches high [text too faded for legibility].

Photograph of crested wheatgrass.

Photograph of the harvesting of 35 acres of King Ranch bluestem grass on the A. E. Bryant farm /ranch. A combine with a spike-tooth cylinder was used. Two days were required to harvest the grass. Mr. Bryant estimates he harvested 1500 pounds of clean seed. Planting was made in the spring of 1947. A good seed crop was harvested in June, a light crop in July and a good yield will be harvested in October. From 2 harvests in 1948 a total of 2500 pounds of seed were harvested. Mr. Bryant needs the following adjustments on his combine for harvesting the crop: the cylinder set at a speed of 1080 rpm; the header set high [unclear] off the air; a ¼ to 3/8 inch clearance on the cylinder; and the reel set forward and down. This is a perennial grass that appears to have a wide adaptation as to soil & rainfall. Note that the grass is waist-high. Planted in 3 feet rows (105 pounds on 35 acres). It has been kept in rows as row plantings tend to yield more than drilled plantings. Bryant has obtained good results by [unclear] dressing this grass with 100 pounds of ammonium sulphate …

Photograph of W. B. Close (left) and V.B. Ellis (right) showing that grass has grown well over 5 feet in the 84 days since it was planted. Close is a neighbor of Ellis’ who has had blue panic grass on his own land and was quite influential in getting Ellis to plant his grass. (See TX-48-717-A). TX-48-717-B.

Photograph of a shop-made brush rake used by W. C. Little of Abilene, Texas, to rake and windrow trees and brush following a tree-dozer and rear cutter. TX-45, 929.

Photograph of newly pitted rangeland just after a ¾ inch rain fell. The pits caught the rain and more ran off the area. The moisture penetrated into the soil in the pits 10 ½ inches deep, whereas in an adjoining area not pitted the soil was wet only 2 or 3 inches deep. TX-48-277.

Photograph of roots, leaves and seedheads of a red plantain, one of several small plants called tallow weed. TX-46, 888.

Photograph of soil and agronomy. Soil conditioning. Soil unit la1 . Riceland profile--no improved crops. Idle for one year. Annuals and rice straw. TX-1174-9.

Photograph of conservation training. This excellent job of vegetating the dam on Site no. 2 of Greens Creek is in the evidence here as the trainees and instructors of the Stephenville Training Center pose for a picture. Note the knot-root paspalum grass in the foreground along the water line and Bermuda grass on the rest of the dam.

Photograph of conservation training. A study of grasses and their adaptability is being conducted by Plant Material instructor, James E. Smith, on the grass plots grown cooperatively between Tarleton State College and the Soil Conservation Service Training Center. The trainees come from Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico along with one visitor from Indonesia.

Photograph of beef cattle grazing 20 acres of improved Bermuda grass pasture. Mr. Gunn, in the picture, developed the pasture several years ago from an old cultivated field and said, “I have mowed the weeds twice a year for three years and I’ve about exterminated a heavy growth of broomweed that hampered the Bermuda’s growth. In 3 years of regular mowing my grazing capacity has increased from one animal unit [for every] 3 acres to one animal unit per acre, 8 months out of the year.” Each year he harrows in and spreads the manure dropped by grazing stock and said that the grass cover is still improving. TX-41, 230.

Photograph of bees from this row of 23 hives are pollinating 35 acres of hairy vetch from which seed crop will be harvested. Bee pollination increases seed production. TX-45. 667.

Photograph of Tumblegrass (Schedonnardus paniculatus), aka, tumbleweed, an invader in many closely grazed rangelands. TX-46, 986.

Photograph of the appearance of delayed subtilled fallow plot immediately after the first cultivation. 3300 pounds of surface residue per acre, 56% of the original. TX-R-4, 1778.

Photograph of a Bermuda grass waterway sodded in the spring of 1952 with an almost solid cover near the end of the second growing season. The waterway is 200 feet wide and will carry the water from terraced fields on either side of the waterway. The waterway strip is 200 feet wide and will be used for pasture after the terraces have been constructed. Soil Unit 2, Class III BL. TX-48-831.

Photograph of agricultural terraces. Collective terrace outlet sprig sodded to Bermuda grass in March, 1949 and planted to cotton in May, 1949. Cultivation of cotton results in the cultivation of Bermuda grass. The width of the strip is 160 feet and will be fenced and utilized as pasture after grass is well-established and the terraces are constructed. TX-45, 717.

Photograph of a crowd of 400 ranchers and farmers looking at grasses and other plants at the first stop on the Range Conservation Field Day held by the Association of Hill Country Soil Conservation Districts [SCD]. Soil Conservation Service [SCS] technician, B. W. Allred led the discussion on the tour. This pasture has been conservatively grazed and rested since March 15. Note the good grasses in the foreground. TX-46, 950.

Photograph of newly pitted rangeland just after a ¾ inch rain fall. The pits caught the rain and more ran off the area. Moisture penetrated into the soil in the pits10 ½ inches deep, whereas in an adjoining area not pitted, the soil was wet at only 2 to 3 inches deep. TX-48-277.

Photograph of combining hubam clover from windrows. John Mulkay is the combine operator. Mr. P. B. Barry estimates that the 6 acre lot will yield about 550 pounds of seed per acre. TX-43, 168.

Photograph of the combining of vetch and Abruzzi rye for seed on the former idle land. Last year Bermal Hickman had 150 acres of vetch that grazed 130 head of cattle from November 20 to March 20. He said that the crop could have carried twice as many cattle. He estimates his yield of vetch seed, from 40 acres combined, at 60,000 pounds. He practices crop rotation, deffered grazing on 600 acres, trashy tillings and all fields that should be are terraced. He farms 780 acres under a 5 year cash lease with E. P. Kilgore, Brownwood, the owner. On the tractor are, left and right, Malcolm McKeehan, Boss (Bill) McKeehan and their father, an employee of Hickman's. TX-43, 108.

Photograph of Madrid Clover and Johnsongrass as an excellent mixture for hay. The clover was planted on Johnsongrass land in March 1951, and was harvested for hay in that year. The clover was harvested for seed in 1992 and yielded around 300 pounds per acre where the photo was made. Soil Unit # 4, Class I. TX-48-123.