Photograph of Victor Lewis (left) and H. Hoffman, Soil Conservation Service [SCS] technician on the right, examining Bermuda grass which is making a vigorous growth in a field of hairy vetch. This was a needle grass field and out of cultivation since 1949 until the hairy vetch was seeded in the needle grass (but without seed bed preparation) and fertilized at the rate of 400 pounds of 0-20-0 fertilizer per acre. This is one method of establishing Bermuda grass on needle grass land. Where there is no Bermuda grass present, it is necessary to sod the land after the fertility has been improved with vetch and 0-20-0 fertilizer. Class VI, Soil Unit 6. TX-47-601.

Photograph of collective terrace outlet which has been sodded to Bermuda grass and fenced for grazing. The outlet was sodded in April, 1948. It is 100 feet wide and when a good cover of grass became established the field was terraced in the fall of 1949. The drainage from 25 acres of terraced land empties on this outlet. Cattle can be seen grazing on the outlet in the background. Class III, Soil Unit. 2. TX-47-599.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, and F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], examine an improved pasture on the farm of C.B. Ritberger. Ritberger says carrying capacity of this 88 acre pasture has been doubled since he improved it with the addition of hop clover, white Dutch, yellow hop and lespedeza. Ritberger first came to this 200acre farm as a tenant in 1928, he rented the farm for $700 from F.S. Hurd until 1938, when he bought the farm, paying $8000 cash. Starting with 2 cows in the diary business he has increased the herd to 40 Jerseys that average 20 pounds of milk per day, the year round. He also has 20 white-faced Herefords. His 92 acres of cultivated land are terraced and tilled on the contour. He has 12 acres of bluestem meadow and 2 acres of post lot. OK-8546.

Photograph of P.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris's Soil Conservation District [SCD] and H. H. Bennett, Chief of the Soil Conservation Service examine some native little bluestem in the 12 acre meadow of the C.B. Ritberger farm. This meadow land is contributing a large amount of run-off to streams was formerly waste before Ritberger developed it under a plan worked out with the aid of technicians of the Soil Conservation Service assigned to assist the district. Grass today is helping to hold most of the rain on the land. OK-8548.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, and F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], examine an improved pasture on the farm of C.B. Ritberger. Ritberger says carrying capacity of this 88 acre pasture has been doubled since he improved it with the addition of hop clover, white Dutch, yellow hop and lespedeza. Ritberger first came to this 200acre farm as a tenant in 1928, he rented the farm for $700 from F.S. Hurd until 1938, when he bought the farm, paying $8000 cash. Starting with 2 cows in the diary business he has increased the herd to 40 Jerseys that average 20 pounds of milk per day, the year round. He also has 20 white-faced Herefords. His 92 acres of cultivated land are terraced and tilled on the contour. He has 12 acres of bluestem meadow and 2 acres of post lot. OK-8546.

Photograph of F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], and H. H. Bennett, Chief of the Soil Conservation Service examine some native little bluestem in the 12-acre meadow of the C.B. Ritberger farm. This meadow land contributing a large amount of run-off to streams was formerly waste before Ritberger developed it under a plan worked out with the aid of technicians of the Soil Conservation Service [SCS] assigned to the district. Grass today is helping to hold most of the rain on the land. OK-8548.

Photograph of hauling in Alfalfa hay. Total acres in farm: 200; pasture, gg: cultivation, 92, native meadow, 12; post lot, 2; farmstead, 2. Ritberger signed a cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Verdigris SCD July 25, 1940. Farm owner (on top of wagon) and Claud Ritberger, son, are hauling in alfalfa hay from the 10 acre field that produces an average of 4 tons per acre annually. Some sheet and gullly erosion were active on this field before alfalfa was establsihed in cooperation with the district. Superphosphate and lime were applied to this field before planting alfalfa.

Photograph of cows on the Ritberger farm (remainng text to blurred and faded). OK-8547.

Photograph of the St. Louis and Santa Fe railroad tracks that were washed 200 feet from the railroad during recent record-breaking floods on the Verdigris River. These tracks washed from the roadbed and completely across Hwy 66 before lodging against the trees. Most of the rails are bent out of shape. Photo shows Verdigris River between Tulsa and Claremore. OK-8543.

Photograph of bank Cutting Below Highway 77 Bridge. The right bank was eroded at least 6 to 10 feet while the left bank and nearby flood plain received thick deposits of sand and silt.

Photograph of an aerial shot of non-cooperative agreement farm undertaking contour farming. A road with several houses is located in the middle of the photograph. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Do not have cooperative agreement on this farm, although they are contour farming."

Photograph of absolute true contour farming. Terraces below where land becomes steeper and is more severely eroded. Willie Mizell, tenant Same Rose, operator.

Photograph of farm pond construction across natural drain with sloping land along drain seeded to grass. Wide spaced terraces sewn to absorb short point rows. Uniform strip between widest terraces. T. A. Shirley, owner-operator.

Photograph of a new type of spray boom which is not supposed to drift. There is 10 needles to the inch. Total boom length is 26 feet. Used by a helicopter. OK 3086

Photograph of farm planning. Engineers check an old terrace channel to see if it is run properly. LA-D3-3.