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National Agricultural Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Special Collections at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Library houses manuscripts and archival records documenting the history of agriculture and the USDA from the 19th through the 21st centuries. These collections include correspondence, field notes, journals, photographs, publications, posters, and other items of individuals who worked for or were associated with the USDA, individuals involved in non-USDA agricultural activities, and organizations related to agriculture. For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact Special Collections.

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Displaying 426 - 450 of 469 Collections

Index-Catalogue of Medical and Veterinary Zoology Card Catalog

In 1891, USDA Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) employee Albert Hassall developed a system of recording references for parasitology-related resouces on index cards. He created three sets of cards: parasite subjects, parasites' hosts, and authors. BAI employees continued using Hassall's system and his cards became the nucleus of the Index-Catalogue of Medical and Veterinary Zoology. The Index-Catalogue became the world's largest resource of published literature on human and animal parasitology. These original catalog cards predate the publication Index-Catalogue of Medical and Veterinary Zoology by Charles Wardell Stiles and Albert Hassall, published in U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal Industry Bulletin, no. 39., 1902-1912 (1 An5B no. 39). The publication Index-Catalogue of Medical and Veterinary Zoology: Authors by Albert Hassall and Margie Potter, 1932, constitutes a revision and continuation of Bulletin 39 (1 An5Ind).
Collection Number: 446
Linear Feet: 2,126
Subjects: Animal Science; USDA History

Beltsville Cattle Reproduction Photographs

The collection consists of a photograph album of approximately 100 black and white photographs showing cattle reproductive issues such as artificial insemination, anatomy, and pathology. Photographs are primarily taken in Beltsville or at another USDA location; some are labeled. The cover carries the title of "Beltsville Bulls." It looks as if an attempt was made to erase the word "Bulls." The album contains photographs of both bulls and cows. Location of some of the photographs can be identified as BARC EAST (e.g. "Beltsville Calf Barn" and "Bull Exerciser at Beltsville, Maryland."). Some photographs are from microscope images.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
This album was found in Building 200 of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. It was transferred to the National Agricultural Library in 2011 by H. David (Dave) Guthrie of the Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory. Some of the photographs are labeled, most are not, except with a number. There is no text in the album concerning the history or purpose of the album, but in general the photographs represent cattle reproduction activities at Beltsville Research Center in the 1930s. Some unlabeled photographs are clearly not Beltsville.
Collection Number: 447
Earliest Date: 1926
Latest Date: 1938
Bulk Dates: 1930-1931
Linear Feet: 1
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Animal Science; USDA History
Formats: Photographs
Digitization Status: None

Account Book of Smith Starkey, Guilford

A handwritten account book of Smith Starkey from Vermont. He did blacksmithing and also owned a general store, that sold agricultural products. The account book consists of the names of his clients and the work that had been done for them, how much they owed him, and what type of payment received: e.g. cash. The ledger is in alphabetical order.
Collection Number: 448
Earliest Date: 1848
Latest Date: 1851
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.

Norman Alf Berg Letters

The collection consists of two letters to Norman A. Berg: one from USDA Secretary Dan Glickman granting him the honorary title of Chief Emeritus of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, dated Jan. 5, 1998; and: one from Thomas A. Weber, Acting Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service congratulating him on being granted the title, dated February 12, 1998.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Norman Alf Berg (Norm) was born in Pine County, Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota (bachelor's) and Harvard University (master's). He served in the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and later headed the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from 1979 to 1982. He supervised the first National Agricultural Lands Study and drafted the Soil and Water Conservation Act. He also served as American Farmland Trust senior adviser (source: Farm Progress (June 2009) p. 5). He died in 2008 (source: Wash. Post)
Collection Number: 449
Earliest Date: 1998
Latest Date: 1998
Bulk Dates: 1998
Linear Feet: 0.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Natural Resources; USDA History
Digitization Status: None

South Carolina Mirex Study Papers

The South Carolina Mirex Study Papers consist of: field notes; newspaper clippings about the insecticide Mirex and research concerning it; hearings reports; USDA-APHIS impact statement, data print outs, magnetic data cards, opinion and research reports.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The papers document a study conducted in South Carolina estuarine areas (1969-1971) to determine concentrations in fauna of Mirex, an insecticide used to attempt to control fire ants. The study was partially funded by the USDA.
Collection Number: 450
Earliest Date: 1969
Latest Date: 1977
Linear Feet: 1.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Entomology; Natural Resources
Digitization Status: None

Publication Board Documents Collection

The collection consists of 119 documents or photocopies of documents released by the Publication Board. Most documents are technical reports captured from the Axis countries during World War II, or reports on Allied defense-related topics. These documents were classified during the War, and released from classification by the Board after the war. Specific topics are varied but generally about chemical or industrial processes of strategic importance in Germany or the U.S., some agriculture-related. Documents are in English or in German.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The Publication Board was established by the president in 1945 under the United States Department of Commerce on the advice of Ralph Shaw, librarian of the USDA library. The purpose of the Board was to declassify and make available technical information obtained through war research performed by the Allies or performed in and captured from the Axis countries. (Source: The Birth of Information Science (digitized edition of "From Documentation to Information Science" by Irene S. Farkas-Conn))
Collection Number: 451
Earliest Date: 1940
Latest Date: 1945
Linear Feet: 1.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Physical Sciences
Digitization Status: None

Sanitary Medicine Class Lecture Notes

This notebook contains an unidentified student's handwritten notes of Professor Daniel Elmer Salmon's first lectures at the newly established National Veterinary College in Washington, D.C. The notes extend from October 25, 1892 to March 10, 1893 and indicate that he gave one to three lectures per week. The topic of the first two lectures was nomenclature; the topic of the third lecture was methods to control animal diseases, especially contagious diseases. Subsequent lectures relate to wounds, septicemia, malignant edema, and common infections (such as strangles, tetanus, anthrax, and glanders), with special emphasis on tuberculosis. Included with the notebook is a 1983 article written by Ole H. V. Stalheim. The title is Daniel Elmer Salmon, the National Veterinary College, and Veterinary Education. This article was published in American Veterinary Medical Association, Volume 182, Number 1, Pages 33-35. Stalheim provided biographical information about Salmon and described the lecture notes.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Daniel Elmer Salmon (1850-1914) was the first Director of USDA's Bureau of Animal Industry. He received the first doctorette degree of veterinary medicine granted in the United States which was awarded him by Cornell University. At the opening of the National Veterinary College on October 18, 1892, Salmon served as Professor of Sanitary Medicine, Control and Eradication of Contagious Diseases and Meat Inspection.
Collection Number: 452
Earliest Date: 1892
Latest Date: 1893
Linear Feet: 0.25
Processed: Yes, contact Special Collections.
Text Available in NALDR: https://archive.org/details/CAT31102646
Subjects: Animal Science; USDA History
Digitization Status: None

Gene L. Wunderlich Papers

The Gene L. Wunderlich Collection contains materials regarding the land economics programs of the United States Department of Agriculture, and, more specifically, land economics agencies, committees and programs of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Economic Research Service (ERS). Materials are chiefly concerned with the era from the late 1950's to the early 1970's. The documents consist of committee meeting reports, papers, correspondence, bibliographies and other publications on land ownership and tenure programs, legislation and policy. There are materials from and concerning the US regional land tenure research committees such as: the Southern Land Economics Research Committee and the North Central Land Economics Committee; also: the Interregional Land Tenure Research Committee and the Interregional Resource Economics Committee. There are also FAO and AID publications from 1970, such as bibliographies and reviews regarding land reform in various regions of the world.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Gene L. (Lee) Wunderlich (1929- ) worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for forty years (1955-1995), in positions concerning USDA policy on land tenure and ownership in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Economic Research Service (ERS). His position before retirement was ERS Senior Economist. He was raised on a farm in North Dakota. He did his undergraduate work at the University of North Dakota and received his M.S. (1951) and Ph.D. (1955) from Iowa State. His Ph.D. dissertation topic is "Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act as a Means of Agrarian Reform." He also served as a consultant to the World Bank, USAID and others in the former Soviet Union. He is the author or editor of numerous books and articles on land tenure, land taxation, and land reform.
Collection Number: 453
Earliest Date: 1933
Latest Date: 1995
Bulk Dates: 1955-1973
Linear Feet: 8.75
Subjects: Economics; USDA History
Digitization Status: None

U.S. National Fungus Collections Topical Files

The U.S. National Fungus Collections Topical Files contain historical records assembled largely by John A. Stevenson during his 33 years of service (1927-1960) as director of the U.S. National Fungus Collections. These materials reflect the history of American mycology and plant pathology and the relationship to the development of the U.S. National Fungus Collections in the 19th-20th century. These files include correspondence; biographical information; unpublished manuscripts; information on scientific meetings, other herbaria, associations and societies, mycological and phytopathological data, photographs, and field and laboratory records. Many American mycologists and plant pathologists are represented, including: L. von Schweinitz, H. Ravenel, C.H. Peck, P. Spaulding, J.B. Ellis, C.L. Shear, L.C.C. Krieger, G.L. Zundel, George Washington Carver, E.E. Morse, R.K. Beattie, W.H. Long, E.K. Cash, A.G. Johnson, and A.E. Jenkins. Specific subject areas represented include: botanical nomenclature, barberry eradication, chestnut blight disease, Wollenweber's Fusarium studies, International Botanical Congresses, historical studies of the United States Department of Agriculture as well as correspondence and reports of the National Fungus Collections.
Collection Number: 454
Earliest Date: 1850
Latest Date: 1977
Linear Feet: 108.75
Processed: Minimally processed, view the partial finding aid online.
Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History
Digitization Status: None

C. (Charles) Benjamin Coffman Papers

Charles Benjamin Coffman's papers primarily consist of technical data concerned with the herbicidal properties of chemicals used or potentially used for weed management. Most of this data consists of reports from the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) for the American National Standards Committee on Common Names for Pest Control Chemicals of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). These files are arranged alphabetically by chemical name. The papers also include correspondence, field notes and data, field results, publications, trademark search reference materials, negatives, and films.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
C. Benjamin Coffman (1941- ) retired in August 2013 an agronomist from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Natural Resources Institute (ANRI), Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab (SASL). He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 19, 1941. He received a BS degree in agronomy, an MS degree in soil fertility with a minor in plant physiology, and his PhD (1972) in soil minerology with minor in geology and chemistry, all from the University of Maryland-College Park. He had a long career at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) of the Agricultural Research Service, where he began in 1965 as a student technician. He also was an educator in the University of Maryland Geology Department. He conducted research on control of narcotic plants; and: weed management in field crops. He published extensively. Most recently, he conducted research for three projects: Weed Biocontrol Project, Farming System Project, and Cover Crops Project. He contributed to experimental planning, field operations, and weed management in these projects.
Collection Number: 456
Earliest Date: 1959
Latest Date: 1998
Bulk Dates: 1970-1980
Linear Feet: 16.25
Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems; Plant Science
Digitization Status: None

Walter LeRoy Sayre Day Books

The Walter LeRoy Sayre Day Books consist of 14 daily diaries written by Sayre (1894-1979), a painter, handyman and farmer of Jacksonville, Illinois. The books are 8 inches in height by 5 inches or slightly larger. They date from 1926 through 1940, and 1944. A second author, almost certainly his wife, Esther (Esther Robinson Sayre, 1897-1991), adds comments and reuses some of the books and records daily events in the late 1950's and early 1960's. There are some inclusions within the pages (receipts, notes).
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Donated to NAL by American Red Cross, Monroe County Chapter, Bloomington, Indiana, to whom the books were originally donated. They record the daily events and schedules of a painter, handyman and farmer in rural and "small-town" Illinois during the late 1920's, 1930's and early 40's. The events of the late 1950's and early 1960's are recorded by another author, apparently his wife, Esther.
Collection Number: 457
Earliest Date: 1926
Latest Date: 1960
Bulk Dates: 1930's
Linear Feet: 1.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Agricultural History
Digitization Status: None

ARS Biological Control Documentation Center Working Files in General Collection

ARS Biological Control Documentation Center Working Files in General Collection are unprocessed reference materials used by the staff when the center was located at the National Agricultural Library. 1. Books - 138 linear feet 2. Files (papers, clippings, and reprints) - 110 linear feet
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Historical timeline- 1934: Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine (BEPQ) was created. 1953: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) was established and BEPQ was abolished. 1954: Insect Identification and Parasite Introduction (IIPI) Research Branch was formed under ARS. Three foreign locations initially reported to IIPI one of which was the European Parasite Lab (EPL). 1964: Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory (BCIRL) in Columbia, Missouri was created. 1975-1993: Asian Parasite Laboratory (APL) was reestablished with the help of special funds for ARS biological control research on the gypsy moth. It was located in Seoul, South Korea and sponsored by the Beneficial Insect Introduction Branch (BIIB), ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Collection Number: 458
Earliest Date: 1920
Latest Date: 1990
Linear Feet: 248
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Plant Science; USDA History
Digitization Status: None

Joseph Aloysius Becker Papers

The Joseph Aloysius Becker Papers include a scrapbook dated January 31, 1959 commemorating Becker’s retirement from the United States Department of Agriculture. The scrapbook is comprised of congratulatory notes, letters, and telegrams from Becker’s colleagues and friends, Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, and other notable figures. The collection also contains award certificates, photographs, newspaper clippings, and documents from Becker’s personal life and career. Of note are the documents from his military service during World War I.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Joseph Aloysius Becker (1891-1975) was born in Hurley, Wisconsin. He graduated with a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1914, and went on to earn his M.S. degree there. In 1918, he became a state field statistical agent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Wisconsin, working to appraise crop prospects and analyze crop conditions from information reported by farmers. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1922 to head research on statistical methods and to serve on the Crop Reporting Board as Assistant Chief of the Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates. He also served as principle statistician for the division. Becker led efforts to adapt the division’s statistical procedures to handle its growing responsibilities during the Great Depression and to administer the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933. In August 1935, he became Head of the division and Chairman of the Crop Reporting Board. He served in that capacity until May 1937. After time spent on leave due to ill health, he returned to the division as Assistant Head. In 1942, he was again designated Chairman of the Crop Reporting Board. He transferred to the Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations in August 1944 to serve as chief consultant for statistical methods in foreign countries. In 1957, he received the USDA’s Distinguished Service Award. Becker retired from USDA in 1959.
Collection Number: 459
Earliest Date: 1957
Latest Date: 1966
Bulk Dates: 1959
Linear Feet: 3
Processed: Yes, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Economics; USDA History
Formats: Photographs

National 4-H Camp Medal

One bronze-toned medal measuring 1.5 inches x 2 inches. It is constructed of an unidentified metal. It has a plain (no lettering) bar at the top, connected to a disc by two rings. The front (obverse) of the disc carries the words United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Colleges in an outer ring, and the the words Cooperative Extension Service in an inner ring. In the center is the clover-shaped 4-H emblem. On the back (reverse) from top to bottom the words are: United States; Department of Agriculture; Washington, D.C.; National Boys & Girls; 4-H Club Camp;1929. There is a hinged pin with a clasp across the back of the bar.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The medal was found and purchased in June 2013 at a flea market in New Oxford, Pennsylvania by US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service scientist Dr. Gary L. Miller and his wife Melissa K. Miller. The medal at time of purchase did not have any history with it. It is most likely that it is a participant's badge from the Third National 4-H Camp held in Washington DC in 1929.
Collection Number: 460
Earliest Date: 1929
Latest Date: 1929
Bulk Dates: 1929
Linear Feet: 0.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Agricultural Organizations; USDA History

Edward B.Knipling Memorabilia

The Edward B. Knipling Memorabilia collection consists of objects collected by or awarded to Dr. Knipling during his career with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chiefly during the years that he served as Administrator of ARS. Objects include plaques, plates, books, medallions, and other items. Most of the items were displayed at one time in Dr. Knipling’s office in the USDA's Jamie L. Whitten Building in Washington, D.C. Additional items include two batons of authority presented to him while on a trip to Hawaii.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Edward B. Knipling served as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) from 2004 until his retirement in 2013. His USDA career spanned 46 years. He earned his B.S. in forestry from Virginia Tech University in 1961, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. in plant physiology from Duke University in 1963 and 1966, respectively. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, conducting research on remote sensing of the environment. Dr. Knipling began his career with the ARS in 1968 as a research plant physiologist in Gainesville, Florida. He served as Area Director for ARS in Stoneville, Mississippi from 1975 to 1978, then in Fresno, California from 1978 to 1982. He then rose to Associate Deputy Administrator of the National Program Staff at ARS in Beltsville, Maryland. In 1988, he became Director of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and served as Deputy Administrator of the National Program Staff until 1996. He was appointed Associate Administrator of ARS in 1997. He became Acting Administrator of ARS in 2001 before taking over as Administrator in 2004.
Collection Number: 461
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: USDA History
Formats: Agricultural Art and Memorabilia

Cam Calvert Collection

This collection consists of Cam Calvert's career documents. Many items are publications. There is also reviewed manuscript drafts with associated data, international cooperation notes and projects, etc. not comprehensive. A number of non-ruminant animals studies are included.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Cam Calvert was a volunteer in Special Collections for the American Poultry Historical Society.
Collection Number: 462
Earliest Date: 1981
Latest Date: 1989
Linear Feet: 8.75
Subjects: Animal Science

Jean Pablo Collection of Rudy Wendelin Artwork Images

Two one-inch, 10 in. x 11 in. binders containing photographs and copies of artwork collected by Jean Pablo, a US Forest Service co-worker of Rudy Wendelin. One binder contains photographs of prepublication artwork for the book "A Walk in the Woods with Smokey" and one binder contains reflections and photographs of Rudy Wendelin and 8 1/2 x 11 color print-outs of thirty of Wendelin's non-Smokey Bear watercolors, chiefly landscapes in US National Forests.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Jean Pablo was an historian in the Forest Service who worked with Rudy Wendelin, the creator of one of the most familiar images of Smokey Bear.
Collection Number: 463
Earliest Date: 1950
Latest Date: 1992
Bulk Dates: 1992
Linear Feet: 0.25
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Forestry; Natural Resources; USDA History
Formats: Photographs

Graham School Dairy Farmers Photographs

The collection consists of two black-and white formally posed photographs of large groups of dairy farmers. One photograph is labeled: "The Graham School, Toledo 1946." The farmers are chiefly from the U.S. midwestern states and Ontario, Canada. Numbered keys to the individuals in the photos are included, listing names, addresses, names and locations of farms and the chief breeds of cow. One key has heading: Graham School, Sherman Hotel, Chicago, Illinois 1944. The material was originally contained in an envelope labeled: "Rollin Gross, St. Mary Farms, Monroe, Mich." Rollin C. Gross is listed as No. 105 in the Chicago photograph. Graham School for Cattlemen and Women in Garnett, Kansas confirms that they are photographs of students from their school.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The collection was donated by David Doss, who located the material at a flea market in Michigan. The Graham School for Dairymen was founded in 1909 by Dr. Frank B. Graham a veterinarian trained at Kansas City, Missouri Veterinary College. The school still (as of 2014) exists, and has broadened its scope to include cattle as well as horses. Members of the Graham family are still members of the faculty and administration. For many years the school had classes in various cities, ultimately settling in a permanent location in Garnett, Kansas.
Collection Number: 464
Earliest Date: 1944
Latest Date: 1946
Bulk Dates: 1944
Linear Feet: 2
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Farms and Farming Systems
Formats: Photographs

John W.Taylor Arboretum Wildlife Collection

The Taylor Arboretum Wildlife Collection consists of an unpublished1947 list of birds observed at the US National Arboretum. The birds were observed by and the work, entitled The Bireds of the National Arboretum, was created by Maryland artist John W. Taylor. The list is in the form of a several page manuscript consisting of ? No. of birds with descriptions written by John Taylor. Each bird is illustrated by hand by the author. The manuscript had been housed at the Arboretum Library. It was turned over to NAL Special Collections in March 2015 and digitized at that time. The collection also contains Taylor's field notes from 1947-1950, and information about and photographs of the 2015 eagle nest.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
John W. Taylor is a professional artist specializing in landscapes and wildlife, especially birds. He was former editor of the publication: The Maryland Conservationist. He is the winner of numerous honors and awards, including being selected as the designer of the first Maryland waterfowl stamp in 1974. One of his early achievements was the creation of a 1947 list of birds at the US National Arboretum, which he titled: The Birds of the National Arboretum. In spring 2015, it was discovered that a bald eagle was nesting at the Arboretum, believed to be the first eagle nesting there since the creation of Taylor's list in 1947. In March 2015, Taylor met with Arboretum officials and Susan Fugate of NAL Special Collections in a small ceremony at which he was acknowledged for his work. At that event, Taylor contributed additional material, a looseleaf binder containing his 1947-1950 field notes.
Collection Number: 465
Earliest Date: 1947
Latest Date: 1950
Bulk Dates: 1947
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Natural Resources
Digitization Status: Portion of collection digitized

Laurence Howland MacDaniels Pomological Research Images

The Laurence Howland MacDaniels Pomological Research Images consist of lantern slides, photographs, and negatives of fruit, fruit anatomy, and fruit diseases. The materials were collected by MacDaniels during his career as a professor in Cornell University’s Department of Pomology. This collection includes images captured during MacDaniels’ trips to Hawaii and the South Pacific, and from his work with Arthur J. Eames on their plant anatomy textbook. Some of the images were taken by MacDaniels’ colleague, Liberty Hyde Bailey.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Laurence Howland MacDaniels (1888-1986) was a horticulturist, author, and professor of pomology at Cornell University from 1923 until his retirement in 1956. He was head of the Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture at the time he retired. Among his many honors, he received the 1966 Wilder Medal for outstanding service to horticulture in the area of pomology, awarded by the American Pomological Society. He also studied the social and ethical implications of the scientific method, which became the theme of his address upon being elected to the American Society for Horticultural Science in 1940. He earned his undergraduate degree at Oberlin College and completed his doctorate at Cornell in 1917. James L. Reveal facilitated the acquisition of this collection. Dr. Reveal (1941-2015) was a botanist, an adjunct professor in Cornell's Department of Plant Biology, and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland,
Collection Number: 466
Earliest Date: 1890
Latest Date: 1950
Bulk Dates: 1920-1940
Linear Feet: 24
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Plant Science
Formats: Photographs

USDA Soil Samples Collection

The USDA Soil Samples Collection consists of 90 vials containing samples of soils from soil provinces and regions of the United States. The collection is accompanied by a booklet, entitled: Important Soils of the United States, published in 1916.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The collection was created in 1916 by the USDA Bureau of Soils for the purpose of illustrating the various soil provinces and regions of the United States. It was designed for the use of schools and colleges teaching agriculture and physical geography. In 2015, it was given to the Natural Conservation Research Service in New Jersey by a teacher who found it in a school classroom in the Cumberland County, New Jersey School District. The Natural Conservation Research Service arranged for donation of the collection to Special Collections, National Agricultural Library in August 2015.
Collection Number: 467
Earliest Date: 1916
Latest Date: 1916
Linear Feet: 2
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Natural Resources; Physical Sciences; USDA History

U.S. Plant Introduction Garden Records

The U.S. Plant Introduction Garden Records consist of materials from files, reports, manuscripts, and publications transferred from the USDA's Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami, Florida. The collection contains original and copy correspondence, notes, reports, plant inventories, photographs, lists, books, and dr The bulk of the files contain materials on the subject of mangoes. There is also original and copy correspondence between David G. Fairchild and personnel at the Miami station. Other records include documents from Fairchild's 1939-1941 Pacific expedition, and notebooks of F. Wilson Popenoe recording his observations of mangoes in India. In addition, there are a few items related to the investigation of cryptostegia as an alternative source of rubber during World War II. The supplementary project reports cover the following tropical crops: Annona (anona), artichoke, avocado, carob, chayote, lychee (litchi), mango, and papaya. There are also three volumes of supplemental reports on the Miami plant introduction garden's activities, and a list of rubber-producing plants. Among the bound volumes are reports of David Fairchild's trips to the Florida plant introduction station in 1913, 1914, and 1915.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The U.S. Plant Introduction Garden began on six acres of rented land on Brickell Avenue in Miami, Florida in 1898. David G. Fairchild, chief of the USDA's Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, led an effort to build acclimatizing field stations for imported plant material in different regions of the country. He envisioned the Miami facility as a place to test, develop, and distribute plant material acquired around the world by USDA plant explorers. The original garden soon became crowded, and in 1914 the USDA's Bureau of Plant Industry leased a supplemental parcel of 25 acres in the Buena Vista subdivision of north Miami. The operation quickly outgrew the combined Brickell and Buena Vista sites. On Fairchild's recommendation, the USDA obtained permission from the War Department to use part of the abandoned Chapman Field Military Reservation for the plant introduction garden. By 1926, the facility had been moved to Chapman Field. It was renamed the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station (SHRS) in 1972.
Collection Number: 468
Earliest Date: 1895
Latest Date: 1951
Bulk Dates: 1908-1919
Linear Feet: 5.75
Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online.
Subjects: Agricultural History; Plant Exploration; Plant Science; USDA History
Formats: Photographs
Digitization Status: None

Lowell Dean Hill Collection

The Lowell D. Hill Collection includes his professional papers, unpublished manuscripts, notes, correspondence and publications. The papers include various topics regarding grain quality. One group of materials consists of the history of North Central Regional Research Project which was Hill's concept of a national (instead of regional) plan of "needs" which involved university, government agencies, and industry. Another set of materials include those documenting a 4-year project in Russia (COMEX project) developing grain marketing skills in several hundred Russian potential grain buyers, an organization which parallels this country's Grain and Feed Dealers Association. This project was facilitated by former USDA agricultural attache Allan Mustard. It is only one of the AID projects in Russia to have survived and to operate independently with no continuing support. There are clippings files written by the Pulitzer Prize winner James Risser from the 1970s "Grain Weights and Grading" scandal resulting in several indictments. It includes nearly all of the articles in the Des Moines Register of that era, plus some additional sources. The collection includes Congressional bills related to Grain Grades, and the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Only one finally passed, but several congressmen were trying to write their own. Part of that includes the Hearings that Hill organized at the University of Illinois with photographs of the 5 congressmen who attended. There is an incomplete file of all that transpired in the 1985 "Grain Quality Workshops," including many of the notes and letter correspondence about the disagreement between participants. The exchanges do not include Hill but he planted the seed several years earlier in government and industry circles. A result was a change in U.S. Grain Standards Act that includes his insert for economic justification. The collection includes Hill's wife's (Betty E. Hill) signed journal "On a Magic Carpet of Corn: A world of Adventure published locally (40 copies exist) in 2012. The journal documents the details of Hill's research trips from 1975-2004 in the following places: Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Hong Kong, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Thailand, Korea, Venezuela, Poland, Colombia, Egypt, Chile, Hungary, Russia, and Zimbabwe.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Lowell Hill is an expert on grain quality economics and marketing strategies. His work influenced US grain quality standards. Traveled to over 50 countries to observe grain-handling methods. Prolific author on topics related to grain quality. Ph.D in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University in 1963. Professor of agricultural economics at University of Illinois from 1977-1998. He authored approximately 400 publications.
Collection Number: 469
Earliest Date: 1905
Latest Date: 2016
Bulk Dates: 1963-1998
Linear Feet: 10
Processed: Yes, view the finding aid online.
Subjects: Agricultural History; Economics

Log Lodge Construction Photographs

Photographs, documents, clippings from the 1940's of the construction of the BARC East Log Lodge (Visitor's Center).
Historical or Biographical Sketch
Lammers-Barton family
Collection Number: 470
Subjects: USDA History
Formats: Photographs

Quartermaster Corps Front Royal Remount Station Photographs

The collection consists of 106 black and white photographs taken during winter of 1941 at the Front Royal US Army Remount Station in Front Royal, Virginia (operated by the Quartermaster Corps). The photographs are captioned and illustrate the process by which, toward the end of the era of the US Army Remount Service, horses and mules were nurtured and formed into animals useful to the US Army.
Historical or Biographical Sketch
The Front Royal, Virginia Remount Station was opened on August 30, 1911 to serve as the US Army's east coast remount depot. It consisted of 5,000 acres adjacent to the Blue Ridge Mountains, south and slightly east of the town of Front Royal. The location was conveniently near the railroad which facilitated transport of animals to the depot and from the depot to Fort Myer, Virginia and other locations. When the remount service was deactivated in 1948, all remount depots reverted to the US Department of Agriculture. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute currently (2016) operates programs on the property.
Collection Number: 471
Earliest Date: 1941
Latest Date: 1941
Bulk Dates: 1941
Linear Feet: 1
Processed: No, contact Special Collections.
Subjects: Animal Science
Formats: Photographs