Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of standard street sweeping equipment that was successfully used to harvest Buffalo grass seed. The sweeper brush is raised and the collector pan—ahead of the brush and not showing—would be in the dummy position. The machine was put to work on a golf course to collect the seed needed for reinvigorating and Oklahoma military airfield. Tarpaulins were placed on each side of the fairway and the collector of seed, trash and grass was dumped on the tarpaulins and then sacked. The golf course was undamaged. One experienced seed collector estimated that at least 95% of all seed on the ground was collected. Sampling indicated that 30 % of the clean seed were collected per hour at a cost of less than 50 cents per hour. Total seed collection was about 1500 pounds. OK-8679.
Date: 1943
Creator: Smith, James E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of a grass drill developed at Woodward, showing special seeder boxes mounted for seeding small-seeded spices such as Eragrostis curvula [aka: weeping lovegrass] and Eragrostis trichodes [aka: sand lovegrass] and naked caryopses [aka: grains] of some larger-seeded species. OK-8714.
Date: January 25, 1943
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of Class II land. Terraces on San Saba Clay. OK-8503
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of Class I land. Lonoke very fine sandy loam on a slope less than 1 percent. OK-8500.
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of Class III land. Bowie very fine sandy loam, terraced and farmed on the contour.
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of class II land. Lonoke silty clay loam showing row directions for simple drainage. OK-8501.
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Conservation, Management and Utilization

Photograph of Class VII, badly eroded and gullied, formerly cultivated land. This should be planted to trees. OK-8494.
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Trees, Tree Farms, Woodlands, and Forests (?)

Photograph of some of the very few virgin pine trees still in existence in the Kiamichi Soil Conservation Distict. OK-8506.
Date: February 1943
Creator: Thomas, G. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Fame Drainage Project, Grader Constructed, Two-Mile Long Drainage Ditch

Photograph of Rt. Abbie Busha and Katie Fisher standing in a two-mile long drainage ditch, constructed via grader, for the disposal of excess surface water for over twenty-one farms in the area. This benefits 1790 acres, while the excess surface water drains into the North Canadian River. People shown in photo go as followed from left to right: 1. Rt. Abbie Busha, 2. Katie Fisher. The back of the photograph proclaims, "2 Mile long, grader constructed, drainage ditch for disposal of excess surface water. Ditch empties into natural drain hence into North Canadian River. This is part of the new drainage system in Fame Drainage Project that benefits 1790 acres (90% in cultivation) on 21 farms. Combined length of ditches 2,175 linear yards."
Date: February 4, 1943
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of range management. A vigorous bunch of little bluestem grasses (Andropogon scoparius) on [unclear] soil. TX-41, 046.
Date: February 13, 1943
Creator: Osborn, Ben
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of W.A. Maples farm land. Contour cultivation and wind strips for erosion control on peanut land. The four rows of sorghum planted alternately with 8 rows of peanuts were severely grazed and a slight amount of wind erosion is evident although it is not serious. Wind erosion control strips on peanut fields should not be grazed and tall growing vegetation should be left to afford the fullest possible protection to the sandy soils. TX-40-893-B.
Date: February 16, 1943
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of bay city crane placing key wall for the support of riprap. Crane is working on a bern at elevation 934.0. Note the depth of trench for key wall and size of rock. This view taken at Station 28 - 00. OK-8485.
Date: February 18, 1943
Creator: Blackart, F. E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of dam construction, Lake Carl Blackwell. Looking north from station 21 showing berm construction at Elevation 934 and the construction of key wall for support of riprap. Rock crusher working on crown of dam in the upper right corner of the picture. OK-8483.
Date: February 18, 1943
Creator: Blackart, F. E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph looking south along the face of a dam. Kay wall for support of riprap being constructed. Wall in place from siphons about station 28 - 00 to about Station 39 - 00. OK-8488.
Date: February 18, 1943
Creator: Blackart, F. E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of a Bay City crane placing a key wall for the support of riprap. The crane is working on berm at elevation 934.0. Note the depth of the trench for the key wall and the size of the rock. This view was taken at Station 28 of Lake Carl Blackwell, in Stillwater. OK-8485.
Date: February 18, 1943
Creator: Blackert, F. E.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Irrigation of Cantelope Fields

Photograph of first irrigation of cantelope fields showing depth of water in the furrows. Beds are soaking up the moisture and water is evenly distriburted in the furrows from one to the other.
Date: March 25, 1943
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Marge Guiglardi Irrigated Farm Pasture

Photograph of Guiglardi examining some alfalfa on his irrigated farm where new borders have been established according to plans made with the assistance of the Soil Conservation Service technician assigned to the district. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Photograph of Mr. Guiglardi examines some of the alfalfa on his irrigated farm where new borders have been established according to plans made with the assistance of the Soil Conservation Service technician assigned to the district. Note the contrast between the irrigated valley land in the foreground and the sand hills in the far background. Flood waters from these sand hills frequently do serious damage to the fertile productive valley lands. In 1941, a flood from the sand hills severely damaged an 8-acre field on this farm. Four acres were deeply sanded and four additional acres were damaged severely. With the assistance of the Soil Conservation Service, owner leveled the land, changed the rows, and in 1942 produced an average of two bales of cotton to the acre. It was the best production he had ever made on the 8 acres. Without this work, the land would have produced nothing in 1942."
Date: March 30, 1943
Creator: Webb, C. G.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of J.B. Cutrer, left, and Dr. H.H. Bennett, chief of the USDA SCS, right, watching a young Guernsey cow enjoying a good meal of fine clovers in improved pastures established in the Fall of 1941 at a cost of approximately $17.00 per acre, not including labor. Cutrer says "When the herd was turned into pasture on April 23, 1942, our daily milk production ranged from 275 to 300 pounds. Two weeks later, milk production ranged from 600 o 625 pounds. Also saw a large savings in food. Cattle have grazed continuously except for a short time when taken off to all clovers and grass to reseed. Health of herd has also improved. Cows have no trouble at calving time." The Cutrers established their first improved pasture, 2 acres in 1939; in 1941, 22 acres were developed and in 1942, 35 acres were established. LA-D7-3.
Date: April 15, 1943
Creator: Webb, C. G.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of the J.L. Brock farm showing improved pasture. 25 cows, 6 yearlings and 11 calves are grazing on this 4-acre clover and Dallis grass pasture. These 42 animals have been alternated on two 4-acre pastures since December 20, 1942. LA-D7-17.
Date: April 16, 1943
Creator: Webb, Gordon
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

An UNIDENTIFIED Man Surveying a Drainage Ditch

Photograph of an UNIDENTIFIED man surveying a drainage ditch, also known as the Abney-Huey Project. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Looking upstream along drainage ditch known as Abney-Huey Project. Rod and chain show depth and shape of section, about 3 ft. deep with 3-1 sides and V bottom."
Date: May 12, 1943
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of Blaine Bottom from Sansbois Creek Bridge 3.5 miles east and 4.5 miles north of Keota, Oklahoma. Flood waters 3 to 6 feet over the high land in the Arkanasas River Valley. Note: Only the tops of the buildings above the water in the background. The flood water was 3.7 feet above any previous record for the past 100 years. OK-4/2405.
Date: May 13, 1943
Creator: Ralf, Frank
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of the Hills Brothers Ranch, Fairfield, Texas. A herd of registered polled Herefords grazing upon improved Bermuda and carpet grass pasture. A heavy growth of trees and underbrush was cleared from the area about 3 years ago and where the carrying capacity was about unit to 8 acres it is now 1 animal unit to 1½ acres. This pasture was not seeded after clearing but grazing has been controlled. “We had one 300-acre brush pasture that used to carry only about 35 head,” said Mr. Hill, “but now that it has been cleared and improved it will carry a cow to the acre.” See TX-41, 125 for area typical of this pasture before improvement. TX-41, 121.
Date: May 14, 1943
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Two UNIDENTIFED Men Surveying the Huey-McNair Project Drainage Ditch

Photograph of two UNIDENTIFED men, one of them looking upstream, surveying the drainage ditch known as the Huey-McNair Project. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Looking upstream along drainage ditch known as Huey-McNair Project. Rod shows depth in this 9 foot cut. Side slopes are 2-1, the bottom width is 3 feet. Road on right will be graded down by Parish. Ditch crosses road in the background."
Date: May 15, 1943
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

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.
Date: May 29, 1943
Creator: Hammett, J.W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History