In Appreciation

Photograph of Arthur Foster, Little Deep Fork Watershed Association representative presents a plaque of appreciation to the Creek County SWCD. Accepting the award is W. A. Juedeman, Chairman of the Creek County SWCD Board of Supervisors.
Date: October 25, 1968
Creator: Croom, Dan F.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of Floodwaters from the Little deep Fork Creek inundated many hundreds of acres of productive bottomlands and much damage was done to growing crops--wheat, oats, alfalfa--about ready for harvest. Damage to country roads and bridges exceeded $100,000. One bridge, 115 feet long, will cost $18,000 to replace another 88 foot bridge will cost $12,000. Levees 8' high were destroyed by the record breaking flood. OK-706-2.
Date: July 24, 1958
Creator: Hamilton, Tom
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Bermuda Grass

Photograph of Bermuda grass.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of pasture establishment. Automatic Bermuda grass sprigger putting out Bermuda grass roots on an old upland cultivated field. Fertilizer, 10-20-10, is being applied as the sprigs are being planted, at the rate of 150 pounds per acre. The soil in this field, soil unit 20, is not suitable for cultivation so it is being put into permanent pasture. The practice of converting depleated cropland into permanent pastures is recommended by the Soil Conservation Service. OK-266-11.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of a Bermuda grass root harvest. Arbuckle Soil Conservation District [SCD] sprigging Bermuda grass on Jim Bivins’ farm, with two-plow sprigger. Note the rack built on top to hold extra sprigs. Approximately 4 acres can be sprigged without stopping to reload. Note trailer being pulled behind sprigger to carry extra fertilizer—800 pounds. The trailer was so designed by the District that one wheel of the trailer runs over the last row of sprigs planted, thus giving more compaction and firming of the soil over the sprigs to retain moisture. An extension was added on the fertilizer attachment of the sprigger for carrying an additional 350 pounds of fertilizer. A spare tire is also carried on the trailer. District-owned chisel, rototiller, side delivery rake. This equipment is for harvesting Bermuda grass roots for establishing sod on other farms. Land is left smooth and will be re-harvested in 2 years. The District charges $5.00 for the use of the automatic sprigging machine and enough Bermuda roots to sod 1 acre. Average yield per acre will sod 12 acres. This machine will harvest 3 tons of roots daily, enough to spring 30 acres. The Soil Conservation Service recommends permanent pasture on land …
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of pasture cultivation. Pasture recently established on land cleared from dense oak brush. The original brush in the background. Area in the center of photo shows the problem of removing stumps and dirt after burning. This area will need to be reworked before the pasture will have full coverage of grass and can be moved. Midland Bermuda grass was sprigged on this area to establish pasture. This land clearing and pasture establishing is recommended by the Soil Conservation Service [SCS]. OK-266-9.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of pasture establishing. Pasture recently established on land cleared from dense oak brush. Original brush in the background. This land was sprigged with midland Bermuda grass roots raised on the Roy Whitehead farm. Sprigging was done with an automatic Bermuda grass sprigger and fertilized at the time of sprigging with 200 pounds of 10-20-10 fertilizer per acre. This land clearing and pasture establishing is recommended by the Soil Conservation Service.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Clearance, Cultivation & Brush and Weed Control

Photograph of land clearing. Native black jack trees showing the results of an aerial application of 2-4-5T herbicide. Spraying was done in 1951 and 1953 at a rate of two and one pounds, respectively, of acid per gallon [of oil or water?]. Demonstration under supervision of the US Department of Agriculture [USDA], Agricultural Research Service [ARS]. Note the return of native bluestem grass when the growth of the black jacks has been removed. This brush was sprayed twice, one year between sprayings. OK-266-12.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Land Clearance, Cultivation & Brush and Weed Control

Photograph of land clearing. Native black jack trees showing the results of aerial application of 2-4-5-T herbicide. This brush was sprayed twice, with a year between sprayings. Spraying was done at a rate of two pounds per acre in 1951 and one pound per acre in 1953. Demonstrations were under the supervision of the US Department of Agriculture [USDA] and its in-house research agency, the Agricultural research Service [ARS]. Note the return of native bluestem grass when the growth of the blackjacks has been removed. OK-266-12.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of a stream channel clogging. Drift wood clogging the stream channel on the Little Deep Fort Creek. This clogging causes the water to spread out over the land during periods of heavy rain fall. Much damage is done to both land and crops as the result of this flooding. The Soil Conservation Service estimates that damage is done to 16,500 acres of bottomland along the creek. OK-273-5.
Date: May 11, 1956
Creator: McConnell, John
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farm Homes

Photograph of farm home of O.W. Johnston, a conservation farmer, near Bristow, Oklahoma. Left to right are: Mr. Frank Bolinger, Creek County Soil Conservation District Supervisor; Howard Lewis, Soil Conservation service Technician; Miss Odelene Johnston; Mrs. O.W. Johnston (seated) and grandchildren. Mr. Johnston is carrying out a complete soil conservation on his farm. OK-8984.
Date: July 18, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farming Equipment and Methods

Photograph of hand harvesting weeping lovegrass seed in a 2-year old planting in a corner of a cultivated field. (Note terraces and contour cultivation in background). W.R. Whitehead operates a 520 acre farm and plans to plant 10 to 15 acres of lovegrass next year. Last year he hand harvested 24 lbs. of seed from 1/8th an acre. A 2 acre field of rye grass was grazed by 130 hogs, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for 90 days beginning February 1, 1945. Seed was then combined from the plot. Mr. Whitehead says the grazing alone was worth as much to him as 200 bushels of corn. Yield of lovegrass seed this year is estimated at 125 lbs per acre from approximately 8 acres. Mr. Whitehead and his son are shown in the photpgraph. OK-8992.
Date: July 14, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hand Harvesting Weeping Lovegrass

Photograph of hand harvesting weeping lovegrass seed in 2 year old planting in corner of cultivated field. Note terraces and contour cultivation in background. Whitehead operates a 520 acre farm and plans to plant 10 to 15 acres of lovegrass next year. Last year he hand harvested 24 pounds of seed from 1/8 acre.A 2 acre field of ryegrass was grazed by 130 hogs, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for 90 days, beginning February 1, 1945. Seed was then combined from the plot. Mr. Whitehead says the grass alone was worth as much as 200 bushel of corn. Yield of lovegrass seed this year is estimated at 125 pounds per acre from approximately 8 acres. Mr. Whitehead and his son are shown it the photograph.
Date: July 14, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hand Harvesting Weeping Lovegrass

Photograph of hand harvesting weeping lovegrass seed in 2 year old planting in corner of cultivated field. Note terraces and contour cultivation in background. Whitehead operates a 520 acre farm and plans to plant 10 to 15 acres of lovegrass next year. Last year he hand harvested 24 pounds of seed from 1/8 acre.A 2 acre field of ryegrass was grazed by 130 hogs, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for 90 days, beginning February 1, 1945. Seed was then combined from the plot. Mr. Whitehead says the grass alone was worth as much as 200 bushel of corn. Yield of lovegrass seed this year is estimated at 125 pounds per acre from approximately 8 acres. Mr. Whitehead and his son are shown it the photograph.
Date: July 14, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hand Harvesting Weeping Lovegrass Seed

Photograph of hand harvesting weeping lovegrass seed in 2 year old planting in corner of cultivated field. Note terraces and contour cultivation in background. Whitehead operates a 520 acre farm and plans to plant 10 to 15 acres of lovegrass next year. Last year he hand harvested 24 pounds of seed from 1/8 acre.A 2 acre field of ryegrass was grazed by 130 hogs, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon for 90 days, beginning February 1, 1945. Seed was then combined from the plot. Mr. Whitehead says the grass alone was worth as much as 200 bushel of corn. Yield of lovegrass seed this year is estimated at 125 pounds per acre from approximately 8 acres. Mr. Whitehead and his son are shown it the photograph.
Date: July 14, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

W. R. Whitehead

Photograph of W. R. Whitehead hand harvesting weeping lovegrass.
Date: July 14, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Grass, Legume and Forb Cultivation

Photograph of O. W. Johnston is using a side delivery rake to cut vetch in windrows preparatory to combining. Johnston planted about 80 acres of vetch last year, mostly in combination with small grains (oats, rye, wheat, and ryegrass), but some pure vetch was also planted. All was inoculated and treated with 100 pounds per acre of superphosphate seed yield from approximately 35 acres; 18,000 pounds (vetch and small grain) of this approximately 12,000 pound are pure vetch. He planted vetch and small grain for seed and soil improvement in a 10 acre apple orchard. OK-8987.
Date: July 13, 1945
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Kermit Whitehead

Photograph of Kermit Whitehead, son of land owner W. R. Whitehead, examining corn.
Date: October 10, 1942
Creator: Webb, Gordon C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

W. A. Seney's Harvested Peanut Field

Photograph of W. A. Seney standing in front of a recently harvested peanut field. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Mr. Seney standing in field from which peanuts have just been pulled and stacked. A winter cover crop of rye grass has been harrowed in by Mr. Seney, which will be pastured until spring and then plowed under as a green manure crop. Field is contour tilled and terraced. Mr. Seney said he expected the peanuts to average 50 bushels per acre—the best peanut crop he has made."
Date: October 9, 1942
Creator: Webb, C. G.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Cotton

Photograph of fertilized cotton.
Date: October 5, 1942
Creator: Webb, Gordon C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History