Photograph of the seeding of a mixture of native grass (100 acres) with one of the special drills constructed under the specifications of Soil Conservation District supervisors of the Central Washita River Valley of Oklahoma to plant small seeds of native and adapted grasses. A local iron works made the drills from second-hand grain drill frames, automobile transmissions, cotton planter boxes, discs and press wheels obtained by supervisors of the Grady Co., Stephens Co., South Caddo Co., and the Canadian-Walnut Soil and Conservation Districts [the last in McClain Co.]. drills were patterned after one constructed by the Woodward, Oklahoma Nursery. The cost of $300 each was shared by the districts. In 1945, 6 SCDs in the Central Washita River Valley seeded 5,161 acres with the aid of 2 small drills, lent by the Soil Conservation Service, compared with 11,000 acres seeded in all previous years. The districts are tackling the job of seeding 500,000 acres with the seven special drills. OK-9141.

Photograph of hereford and nurse cows grazing on 60 acres of old 160 acre field seeded spring of 1945 to Kobe and Korean lespedeza and overseeded to big hop and black medic clover. Mr. Cavender bought this 560 acre farm from his father in 1944. With assistance of the Little River Soil Conservation Districkt the farm wa planned as a livestock unit. Sixty acres of native grass went to meadow, 100 acres to sericea lespedesa. In 1946, 40 additional acres were planted to sericea. Old pastures were improved, overseeded to clover mixtures and area now kept mowed. A 60 acre old field, fertilized, limed and planted with Korean laspadeza in 1945 was overseeded to hop & black medic clover shis summer, 600# carpet grass this spring. Weeds were kept mowed & this year Cavender grazed 22 registered polled Herefords, 2 horses & 6 grade cows on the old "field".

Photograph of the Wildlife refuge. Range condition class: Excellent. Boulder ridge and hilly, stony land (very shallow soil). OK-9214.

Photograph of the John Briscoe Ranch, part of the 70 acre old cultivated field retired and planted to little bluestem, buffalo, switch, Indian and blue-green grasses about the 1st of March 1945. Mixture was seeded at a rate of approximately 12 pounds per acre. This 10 acres was seeded for permannet pasture on clean cotton land. Yield is estimated to be 30 to 35 pounds combined material per acre. Briscoe retired 135 acres last year on this farm and 65 acres on another farm he owns. Next year he plans to plant 20 additional acres of bluestem on a field no win rye and vetch. Driving the tractor is Curtis Hudson, coopeator, one mile east of Geary, while his brother, Dillard, rides the combine. OK-9260.

Photograph of Soil Conservation Service personnel and Wichita Wildlife Refuge officials on planning tour in preparation for Soil Conservation Service Range School to be conducted by Mr. B.W. Allred. Front row:, left to right: Marjorie Krelberg, W.A. Watson, Victor Bunderson, Herschel Bell, E.B. Kong, R.H. Marshall and Courtland Tidwell. Back row, left to right: Julian Howard, P.F. Alan, Larry Short, Louis reid, Rudy Peterson, Ervin Schmutz, L.H. Leithead, carl Eminger, Ben Osborn, R.B. Peck, Jack Englemann, B.W. Allred, E.J. Dyksterhuis and Ernest Greenwalt. Greenwalt is refuge Superintendant and Howard is his assistant. OK-9219.

Photograph of buffalo calves (outer) and cow (right) using mesquite trees for rubbing posts. OK-9213.

Photograph of buffalo herd on native grass range. Note calves in center and on right. OK-9210.

Photograph of a fifteen year old longhorn steer. OK-9155.

Photograph of a spotted longhorn steer. OK-9192.

Photograph of an aged Texan Longhorn Steer. OK-9195.

Photograph of three district supervisors discissing the merits of a seed drill with a fertilizer attachment owned by the South Caddo Soil Conservation District. Left to right: E.H. Melencamp, chairman, Anadarko; Louis Clay, member, Binger; and Karl Douglas, member, Anadarko, Oklahoma. OK-9276.

Photograph of three district supervisors discissing the merits of a seed drill with a fertilizer attachment owned by the South Caddo Soil Conservation District. Left to right: E.H. Melencamp, chairman, anadarko; Louis Clay, member, Binger; and Karl Douglas, member, Anadarko, Oklahoma. Okla-9276.

Photograph of a part of 12 acres of brushy pasture that has been cleared with a power saw since January 1946. Additional trees will be cut and sprouts will be controlled by mowing. The land has been seeded to carpet grass and will be overseeded to clovers and lespedeza next spring [1947]. The worthless, wooded area in the right background also will be cleared. Camera Station: in the 120 acre pasture. Facing the southeast from the side of the road at point 468 feet south of the farmstead gate. OK-9208.

Photograph of a Maximillian Sunflower. TX-43 [?], 233.

Photograph of a heath aster or aster ericoides plant. TX-43, 254 [?].

Photograph of composite samples of Texas Wintergrass taken in December, 1946. The large sample was taken where litter was in good condition and considerable stubble from previous years growth remained. The range where the small sample came from had been burned the previous September. Ground temperatures were from 5 to 6 degrees warmer. TX-45-943.

Photograph of the Canant brothers’ farm, Idabel, Oklahoma. Four years ago when the Canant brothers bought a 400 acre farm, most of it was a worthless, wooded area that would not carry more than 25 head of cattle. They cleared 12 acres seeded it to Dallis grass, yellow hop, black medick and white Dutch clover. This improvement increased the land’s carrying capacity to two cows per acre. Additional pasture work has been done and the farm now carries 100 head of cattle. OK-9204.

Photograph of pasture improvement. In 1943 and 1944, one ton of lime and 250 pounds per acre of super-phosphate were applied each yearf. Hop, Persian and white Dutch clover were seeded on old Bermuda grass pasture in 1943 and since that time considerable Dallis grass has volunteered. The 30 acre pasture is now carrying 2 cows per acre year round. Soil Conservation Service technicians Hal E. Townsend, left, and J. V. Rabb, right.

Photograph of clipped bluestem plot, the same as in TX-43, 229-A. Average forage yield of this and 9 other plots was 5,567 pounds per acre. Yield of mulch was 1580 pounds per acre. TX-43, 229-B.

Photograph of Maximillian sunflowers. TX-43, 233.

Photograph of a heath aster plant. Aster ericoides [an outdated classification]. TX-43, 254.

Photograph of lost wheat crop. Right: the field as planted to wheat after the land lay fallow over the summer. The wheat was likely planted too late and this, together with the lack of stubble on the surface resulted in the loss of the crop. Left: A small area of the wheat field that made a fair stand. If sorghum had been planted last spring instead of the following [the wheat/], the sorghum stubble would have helped to hold the soil for the wheat crop. TX-1844.

Photograph of emergency tillage. Listing (with small sweeps) a sandy field planted with wheat. The field had been idle for several years until about 1943. A crop of rye was grown for 2 consecutive years (1944 & 1945) to tie down the topsoil and as preparatory to planting a wheat crop. Wheat was planted for the first time year and the field is blowing badly. TX-1853.

Photograph of an aged, longhorn steer. OK-9154.