Historical Photo Gallery
The 1930s Dust Bowl taught us that plants play a critical role in the health of our environment. At that time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created a number of Soil Conservation Nurseries throughout the country to grow and distribute plants for the stabilization of severely eroding lands. Since the mid-1930s, this need for conservation plants has grown into the present day Plant Materials Program. The Program was created in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS ) Division of Nurseries. It later became the SCS Plant Materials Program and is known today as the NRCS Plant Materials Program.
Photo Gallery
Click a photo below to see an enlarged version:
Title:
Soil Conservation Service Nursery, Big Flats, NY
Caption:
Administration Building, Soil Conservation Service Nursery, Big Flats, New York. 1949. Photographer M.E Heath. Dr. Maurice Heath was the Nursery manager from 1949-1951.
Location:
Big Flat PMC, New York
Credit:
Dr. Maurice Heath, Nursery Manager, 1949-1951
Source:
USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
History - WAPMC
Location:
Pullman, Washington
Credit:
USDA NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
PMC Scientists were developing legumes to add nitrogen to the soil on cropland.
Title:
AZPMC Vehicles
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1938
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
Government vehicles parked at the Soil Conservation Service Nursery in 1938.
Title:
AZPMC 1938 Rubbing Machine
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1938
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
1938 rubbing machine
Title:
AZPMC - 1964 Twinberry
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1964
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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Comments:
Harvesting Twinberry (Menodora scabra) at the Tucson Plant Materials Center.
Title:
AZPMC 1970 Tour
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1970
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
Robert Joy, PMC Manager giives a tour of the Tucson Plant Materials Center in 1970.
Title:
AZPMC Seed Collection
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1937
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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Comments:
1937 BOGR Seed Collection near Tucson, Arizona.
Title:
AZPMC 1937 Plant Collecting
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1937
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
Collecting pappaphorum mucronulatum plants for transplants to seed increase block. Collection was 1 mile north of Sahurita, Arizona in Pima County on 10/13/1937
Title:
AZPMC Tucson PMC
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1930s
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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Comments:
Some of the original buildings at the Tucson Plant Materials Center are still in use today.
Title:
AZPMC Tucson PMC Buildings
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1930s
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
Buildings on the Tucson PMC grounds in the late 1930's. This building still stands today and serves as the NRCS Tucson Field Office
Title:
AZPMC 1941 Grama Species
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1941
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
Download:
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Comments:
Grama species at the Tucson Plant Materials Center in 1941.
Title:
AZPMC 1930s Field Work
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1930s
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
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Comments:
1930s field work at the Tucson Plant Materials Center
Title:
IDPMC First Seeding
Credit:
USDA NRCS IDPMC
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Comments:
First seeding at the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, Idaho. Date and photographer unknown
Title:
IDPMC 1955 Seedhouse Construction
Location:
Aberdeen, Idaho
Date:
1955
Credit:
USDA NRCS IDPMC
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Comments:
Beginning of District-owned seedhouse construction in October 1955.
Title:
IDPMC-1957-Siberian_Wheatgrass
Location:
Aberdeen, Idaho
Date:
1957
Credit:
USDA NRCS IDPMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
June 1957 field planting of Siberian wheatgrass in forground of the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center
Title:
IDPMC Field Planting
Location:
Aberdeen, Idaho
Credit:
USDA NRCS IDPMC
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Comments:
Historical field planting at the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, Idaho.
Title:
IDPMC - PMC Training
Location:
Aberdeen, Idaho
Credit:
USDA NRCS IDPMC
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Comments:
Plant Materials training at the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center. Date and author unknown.
Title:
Conifer Seed Beds - 07/01/1937
Caption:
View of Manhattan SCS Nursery\'s conifer seed beds, 7/1/1937.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
R. W. Hufnagle, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Western Yellow Pine Plant Production - Date unknown
Caption:
Western yellow pine 2-0 planting stock in production at Manhattan SCS Nursery.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Seed Cleaning Equipment - 1978
Caption:
(L-R) John Dickerson, PMC Mgr., Warren Longren, BST, & Bill Wester, SC inspection X-29D seed cleaner
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Peppard Grass Seed Stripper - 3/29/1950
Caption:
Peppard grass stripper converted to tractor mount/tractor powered unit at the Manhattan SCS Nursery
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Buffalo Grass Seed Harvesting - 06/27/1952
Caption:
Buffalo grass being harvested with a 5-foot cut combine converted to cut at ground level
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
M. D. Atkins, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Cropland Reclamation - 12/15/1951
Caption:
Deep plowing cropland following the \'51 flood.
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
F. P. Eshbaugh, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA-SCS
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
SCS In-service Training - 09/16/1971
Caption:
Erling Jacobson, (2nd from Left), conducts in-service training session.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
Peter N. Jensen, Range Conservationist, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
SCS Field Employees Tour - 09/16/1971
Caption:
Erling Jacobson, (far left), PMC Mgr. leads PMC tour group of KS & NE SCS District Conservationists
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
Peter N. Jensen, Range Conservationist, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Manhattan PMC Field Tour - 06/17/1976
Caption:
Robert D. Lippert, PMS, speaks to Range Management Field Course attendees on field tour at PMC.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
John A. Dickerson, PMC Mgr., USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Seed Increase Field Maintenance - 1976
Caption:
Edie Hadle, Bio. Sci. Tech. & summer crew weed pitcher sage seed increase field on the Manhattan PMC
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Shipping Seedling Trees - 1937
Caption:
Crew packing refrigerated railcar with tree seedlings harvested from Manhattan SCS Nursrey, 1937.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Shelterbelt - Date unknown
Caption:
Young farmstead shelterbelt, rows of eastern red cedar interplanted with sedan grass cover.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Potted ponderosa pine - 05/10/1941
Caption:
Newly potted ponderosa pine at Manhattan SCS Nursery, May 10, 1941
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
McLean, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
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Title:
Manhattan SCS Nursery Headquarters in Winter - 1971
Caption:
Manhattan SCS Nursery Headquarters as it looked in the winter of 1971.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Grass Rod-row Initial Evaluations - Date Unknown
Caption:
Grass rod-row initial evaluation blocks at Manhattan SCS Nursery,
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Elm Tree Seedling Production Planting - 1937
Caption:
Crew planting elm seed in 1937 at Manhattan SCS Nursery.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Black Locust Tree Seedlings - 04/14/1947
Caption:
Piles of black locust, 1-0 bundles of seedlings being stored roots exposed in ricks at Manhattan SCS
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
F. P. Eshbaugh, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Seedling Tree Production Nursery - 1949
Caption:
2-0 eastern red cedar nursery stock plant production at Manhattan SCS Nursery, 1949.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials Center
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Nursery Row Marking - 1937
Caption:
Marking rows for elm seed planting at the Manhattan SCS Nursery, spring 1937
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
New Flagpole - 1968
Caption:
PMC staff view American flag following initial raising on newly installed flagpole.
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
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Title:
Native Harvest Crew - 08/24/1937
Caption:
Harvest crew seed stripping native stand of side oats grama with Minnahan seed strippers.
Location:
USDA-SCS-PMC-Manhattan, KS
Credit:
Jim Slack, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Native Harvest - 1941
Caption:
Blue grama grass seed being harvested from native grassland, 1941.
Location:
Texas
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials Center
Download:
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Title:
Plant Materials Center Staff - 1977
Caption:
(R-L) Robert D. Lippert, PMS, Edie Hadle, BST, Warren Longren, BST, and John Dickerson, PMC Mgr.
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials Center
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Title:
Aerial View of Manhattan SCS Nursery 1962
Caption:
Aerial view of Manhattan SCS Nursery looking north, August 27, 1962
Location:
Manhattan, KS
Credit:
H. L. Gamble, USDA-SCS
Source:
USDA NRCS Manhattan PMC
Download:
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Title:
AZPMC 1938 Harvest
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1938
Credit:
USDA NRCS AZPMC
Download:
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Comments:
1938 harvest of plains lovegrass
Title:
History - 1937 Seed Stripper
Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Date:
1937
Credit:
USDA NRCS Tucson Plant Materials Center
Download:
jpg (Right click and 'Save As')
Comments:
1937 seed stripper
