"The Voice of the Beef Empire"-North-Central Nebraska's BIGGEST Newspaper
Volume 80—Number 51 O'Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, April 13, 1961 Seven Cents
Holt SWCD Annua! Report
Lists Past Year's Activities
Thic i« thn rorv^rt nf tho Unit -■ ■■ -
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Soil and Water Conservation Dis
trict’s activities and accomplish
ments during the year 1960.
The following table gives an
outline of the accomplishments
for the past year on some of the
major conservation practices car
ried out by District cooperators.
To
Practice Unit 1960 Date
Strip crop
ping Ac. 311 109,302
Cover crop
ping Ac. 283 27,886
Proper use Ac. 36,706 253,780
Permanent
seeding Ac. 1,839 30,621
Dune Stabi
lization Ac. 31 5,081
Tree plant
ing Ac. 159 8,227
Terraces & Di
versions Mi. 1.2 69.5
Waterway De
velopment Ac. 4 322
Pond con
struction No. 22 242
Land level
ing Ac. 20 278
Tree planting and proper use
increased this year. Most of the
other practices show a slight de
crease. The District’s Misbet
drills were used on 1,721 acres. In
addition, the range inter-seeder
was used on over 300 acres.
Tree planting increased pri
marily because several of the
large irrigators, using self pro
pelled systems planted the non
irrigated eorners to trees. We
believe this is a good practice
and that in a few years it will
afford livestock protection as
well as excellent wildlife cover
and increase the beauty of the
country side.
Dam construction was some
what lower because contractors
were not available to build all
that were requested and staked.
Sixteen Great Plains contracts
written this year brings the to
tal to 34 for that program to date.
Accomplishments for the year
on these 34 contracts are in brief
as follows: 1,027 acres of per
manent seeding. Of this the range
inter-seeder was used on 90 acres.
There were 10 dams constructed,
four were livestock water, fed by
intermittent spring flows, five
erosion control dams and one
large irrigation dam. Seven live
stock wells and one spring de
velopment were cost shared. Five
n
acres of waterways were de
veloped and 1.7 miles of terraces
and diversions built. Tree plant
ing totaled 19 acres. Cost share
payments were made on nearly
10 miles of fence for cross fenc
ing and protection of new seed
ings and tree plantings. All of
this seems a sizeable amount of
conservation work to be com
pleted by 34 cooperators in one
year.
Informing Public
Is No Small Task
There were 34 news releases
made during the year. These
were printed in from one to four
of the newspapers in the county.
Each Thursday the 1000 watt
radio station KBRX in O’Neill
carries a 15 minute program cov
ering some phase of conservation.
Responsibility for these pro
grams is shared by the County
Extension Agent, Weston Whit
wer and Bob Hill of the Soil Con
servation Service. Occasionally a
District Supervisor assists with
the program.
Supervisors Help
In Numerous Areas
District Supervisors attended
the area meeting in Ainsworth
in December. Three Supervisors
attended the State Convention of
SWCD’s in Fremont in October.
They took with them as their
guest, Weston Whitwer, Soil Con
servationist, who has been a very
valuable person to our District
for the past ten years.
Elmer Juracek, our secretary
treasurer has served the past
year as state vice president of
the state association and at the
convention in Fremont, was re
elected to another term in that
office.
Mr. Juracek also attended the
National Watershed Congress in
Washington, D. C., and the area
meeting in Sheridan, Wyo.
Three Supervisors also at
tended the National Convention
of SWCD’s In Louisville, Ky.
Such participation surely in
dicates the life and enthusi
asm our District has in working
for soil and water conservation.
Four-H teams from the Holt
District again enjoyed a success
ful year. For the third year out
of the last four, Holt county has
had the top 4-H Individual at the
State Range Judging contest.
This year’s winner was Keith
Krugman. Our top team, which
tied for sixth place at the
National contest in Oklahoma
City last spring, participated
though they were ineligible to
compete in the State contest.
They topped the winning team by
100 points. They are again eligi
ble to participate in the National
contest. O’Neill high school also
had an FFA team competing in
the State contest.
Holt SWCD helped sponsor the
county and area contests this
year. There were 23 contestants
in the county contest and 63 in
the area competition.
One of the Supervisors is a 4-H
Leader in Range conservation
and placed third in the adult
class in the National contest. Two
of the boys on our champion
range judging team are sons of
Bob Hill, our Unit Conserva
tionist. Such interest and coopera
tion has had a part to play in
the success of Range Judging in
the Holt SWCD.
The Holt SWCD, Fehr’s Trac
tor and Equipment Co. and Vic
Uphoff of the L & S Steel Com
pany sponsored the contractors
meeting. There were about 25
people attending. Specifications
and cost share rates were ex
plained by personnel from both
the ACP and SCS.
The Holt SWCD entered the
Goodyear contest with Milton Mc
Kathnie of Atkinson being the co
operator chosen to represent the
District.
Clarence Focken of Atkinson
and Henry Miksch of Stuart were
the cooperators to represent the
District in the Sioux City contest.
The Holt District won the area
competition.
One thousand copies of the 22
year Progress Report booklets
were distributed in the District.
The supervisors decided to fi
nance the cost of the booklets
themselves and not ask for a
sponsor. This left the back page
’ I
What view do you take of
THE FUTURE?
As science and industry take giant steps
forward in 1961, you and your family will
be an integral part of this accelerated
progress. Never have the over-all pros
pects been brighter or the opportunities
for self-development and self-fulfillment
greater. The facilities and counsel of this
full-service bank can help you make the
MOST of your auspicious future!
We congratulate those who
conserve the soil, one of nature's
most valuable resources. We honor
those who plan ahead for the wiser
land use and continued harvests
across the long tomorrow.
O'Neill National Bank
0/Neill
%
available to add local informa
tion.
The annual meeting, callec
Holt SWCD Awards Night, was
held at the Legion club in O’
Neill March 11.
Superv isor Elmer Juraeek pre
sided over the program. All
supervisors took part in sorrw
way or other. The new Soil
Stewardship film. "The Earth
is the Lord’s,” was shown and
set the stage for the program
that followed.
Sioux City Awards went to
three good cooperators of the
District, Darel Bright of O’
Neill, Carrol Summerer of Ew
ing and Edward Sterns of At
kinson.
The farm of David Keidel of
Stuart was chosen for the Con
servation Picture award. The
award had been sponsored by the
O’Neill National Bank and Mr
Keidel was presented a photo ol
his farm at the Annual Meeting
Mr. Ivan Minshall had won the
Goodyear Award. All award win
ners were presented SWCD co
operator signs by the District.
Mr. Richard Gavitt, Extensior
Forester was present and pre
sented Tree Farmer Awards to
two of our District’s outstanding
tree planters. These went to Mr.
E. J. Revell of O’Neill and Mr.
Ernest Billstein of Chambers.
Watershed Program
Sensible Approach
To Water Program
The Watershed program is the
sensible approach to our Soil and
Water Conservation program
That is the opinion of Bill Rich
ards, Holdrege farmer and presi
dent of the National Association
of Soil and Water Conservation
Districts.
The backbone is its federal,
state and local DartnershiD. how
ever there is an increasing ten
dency to shift the entire re
sponsibility to the Federal
Government.
‘‘But the answer, in my opinion
is not to shift the authority to a
Federal Agency, but to
strengthen agencies of state
government.”
“We have barely scratched the
surface in development of Ne
braska resources,” Mr. Richards
said.
“The time will come when as a
nation we will be called upon to
produce at the maximum of our
capacity if we are to meet the
problems of an exploding popula
tion and expanding industrial
economy.”
Mr. Richards said the eastern
one-third of the nation is already
a deficit food producing area and
that the line will continue to
move westward.
The Elkhom and its tributaries
drain a huge area extending
from the Elkhom source near
Bassett to its confluence with
the Platte near Ashland.
Warren Fairchild, committee
executive secretary, said the
committee agreed to cooperate
with the association in asking the
USDA to make a basin-wide sur
vey of irrigation, flood control
and conservation needs.
He said the request is the
first made in the state under
Public Law 566, which author
izes the USDA to do basic
planning in co-operation with
state agencies.
He described the Elkhom as
sociation’s suggestion as the
“most energetic” plan ever pro
posed in the state.
Robert Bridge of Norfolk, Elk
horn’s president, had asked the
state committee to approach the
secretary of agriculture for plan
ning aid.
The Elkhom Valley Water Re
sources Association has asked the
Nebraska Soil and Water Con
servation Committee for assist
ance in developing a comphren
sive resource development plan
includes soil and water conserva
tion, flood control, irrigation,
recreation, fish and wild life
program and all phases of re
source development.
The Nebraska Soil and Water
Conservation Committee has
agreed to cooperate with the
Elkhorn Water Resources As
sociation in seeking federal
help for planning a watershed
program for the entire Elkhorn
River Basin.
State Senator Ross Rasmussen
of Hooper said he’s “highly
pleased” that the Nebraska Soil
and Water Conservation Commit
tee has agreed to work with the
Elkhorn Valley Water Resources
Association in the project.
The rivers channel has been
straightened in several locations
under local supervision, first
from Wisner to Beemer, then
from Beemer to West Point and
finally from West Point to the
Dodge county line.
Each of these projects has
caused flood problems down
stream, according to the senator,
a former Dodge County Supervi
sor. “Now Dodge county is
catching it. We’re on the nozzle
end,” he said.
Dodge county recently com
pleted correction of a k” to
save a bridge north of licoper
and currently is correcting
another loop to save Scribner
bridge and protect the town of
Scribner.
“This work was made neces
sary by the straightening projects
above Scribner, which caused
water to flow faster than the
stream could carry it,” he said.
“It proves that projects such
as these can’t be done piece
meal but must be part of a total
watershed project.” I
New Names Appear
As Supervisors
The regular election was held
in conjunction with the annual
meeting. Harvey Krugman de
clined to be a candidate for re
election. Other nominees were
Elmer Juracek, incumbent; Rus
sell Barelman, Thilo Poess
necker, Robert Witherwax and
Elmer Vogel.
Elmer Juracek and Elmer Vo
gel were elected to serve on the
board.
Later in the year Clarence
Ernst resigned because of an at
torney General’s railing stating
that it was not possible to serve
on a Soil and Water Conserva
tion District board and the
County Board of Supervisors con
currently. Robert Witherwax was
appointed by the board to fill the
vacancy.
Schools Urged to
Teach Conservation
No boy or girl should leave
high school without a basic
understanding of resource con- j
servation according to Edu- j
cationally Yours, a monthly pub-:
lication of the Nebraska Depart
ment of Education.
The publication said about 37:
per cent of the total area of Ne- j
braska has been severely af
iectcd by erosion in about 85
years of use.
“What will it be in another 85
years?” it asks.
It urged schools to step up their
efforts in teaching conservation.
Grass Seed Growers
Plan Year's Program
A meeting was also held with
the grass seed growers to de
termine policy, commission
charge, to set prices and to work
out other problems.
The Vocational Agriculture
classes of the Atkinson and O’
Neill high schools met with the
Supervisors at the September
meeting. A discussion and ex
planation of the World Herald
contest was held. The boys were
shown the part the local SWCD
plays in conserving our most
valuable resources, soil and
water.
Opinions were aired during the
July meeting with Elmer Mah
lin and Lloyd Snyder of the
Board of Educational Lands and
Funds. They expressed their de
sire to get a conservation plan
developed for all school land.
Since then the cooperative agree
ment of the new lease now
signed, stipulates that they will
conserve and improve the Ne
braska Educational Lands. This
they will accomplish by applying
and maintaining conservation
practices on these lands.
At the request of the Holt
SWCD, Duane Chamberlain, As
sistant Executive Secretary of
the Nebraska Soil & Water Con
servation Committee, came to O’
Neill and reviewed our book
keeping system. At a following
meeting with the Supervisors, he
gave his recommendations. He
thought the system in general
was excellent and that the
financial procedures were more
than adequate.
A question contest was also
held this year. School children
were asked to send in questions
on conservation.
New Equipment Added;
Nisbet Drills Busy
The Holt District has no plan
ned Watershed program at this
time. Most Watershed work in
Holt county will not qualify for
Federal assistance untier Public
Law 566. The recently organized
Elkhorn Valley Watershed As
sociation does include part of
Holt county. Any work involved
will be in the Eastern part of the
county.
During 1960 the District pur
chased a new International 340
tractor. This was financed
mostly through a private loan.
The new tractor was a great
help in accomplishing as much
conservation work as we did.
We also secured a new
mounted Range inter-seeder.
More than 300 acres were
planted this way and the re
sults so far are proving very
popular.
With a range inter-seeder it
is possible to re-establish native
grasses in pastures that are poor
in condition, without completely
working the soil. The seeder
works very much like a lister,
making shallow furrows just deep
enough to clear away the weeds
and existing vegetation. The seed
is planted in the center of this
shallow furrow in clean ground.
This method has attracted a lol
of attention and is proving very
successful especially in lightei
soil.
Both Nisbet grass seed drills
were busy last spring. Something
new in grass seeding was tried
this year. More than 300 acres of
grass seed were drilled in cover
crops after all chance of germi
nation was past. Many coopera
tors were asked to try this
method and it was the first time
this type of seeding was tried in
our District.
Two tree planters were
working last spring. The
mounted planter on the new
tractor helped greatly to
shorten the planting season.
With the grass drills operating
too, the District has had as
many as nine employees at one
time.
Sholcs resigned in order to give
full time to his own work. Ro
bert Gallagher has now taken
over as manager and after the
fall grass seeding was done, has
worked on repairing the Distric t
equipment and helped to bring
the grass seed inventory up to
date.
The District this year also pur
chased an air conditioner. With
better service in mind for our
cooperators, the air conditioner
is us»*d to keep Clarke McNary
and other seedling trees dormant
until planting. The tree's are
stored in an insulated building
and the' air conditioner keeps
them moist and cool. This will
help raise the survival rate ort
all the trees planted by the Dis
trict. In the summer the condi
tioner is moved to the office and
does much to keep it more
pleasant during hot weather.
AWARDS PROGRAM
By winning the Sioux City
Award for Permanent Agricul
ture the District received a $100
cash prize. This was used to
secure a new tape recorder.
DON'T let your lane
slip through your fingers!
- ' ^ 1 » W
As the Steward of the soil serves God, he serves himself and countless
others in many ways. To those who conserve our most precious re
source, the soil, we say "CONGRATULATIONS."
FEDERAL LAND BANK ASSOCIATION OF O'NEILL
CONGRATULATIONS
To Those Who Help Make Farming A
Better Way of Life
Niobrara Valley
Rural Electric
Association
V" Vfq>>y
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION has brought light and power
to more than 16,000,000 rural Americans through over
1,000 locally owned systems. It has made dramatic
changes in farming and in life in rural areas ... is des*
tined to continue to expand until the most remote
farm enjoys all the conveniences of city life.