Burns, D 1976-05-21
D. Burns discusses his years as manager of the Pitchfork Ranch.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: D. Burns
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: May 21, 1976
Location: Pitchfork Ranch, Guthrie, Texas
Interviewer: David Murrah
Length: 1 hour
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
Cattle,
Shipment of cattle,
Seasonal shipments to Wyoming,
Water Supply,
Rainfall original source, later dug wells,
Land,
Condition of land,
Description of pasture land,
Pre-conditioned pens for cattle,
Roads,
Maintenance of Pitchfork roads by county,
Farming Practices,
Began terrace farming in 1950s,
Pitchfork buildings,
Discussion of sheds and shops,
Cattle (again),
Feed cattle as well as let them graze,
Hogs,
Mechanization in 1950s,
Addition of disease-free buildings,
Selling procedures,
Ship to Plainview to the Jimmy Dean Company,
County government,
Relationship between Pitchfork Ranch and county government,
Migration of ranch employees into law enforcement,
Equipment,
Leasing of combines due to expense,
Farming practices (again),
Plant hybrid sorghum for young cattle,
Ranch employees,
Difficulty finding good workers
Tape 1, Side 2:
Jim Humphreys,
Burns impression of him,
Migrant workers,
Utilized Mexican workers to grub land in 1930s,
Land (again),
Location of pastures,
Numbers of cows held in each,
Migrant workers (again),
Utilized them to spray mesquite trees with chemicals,
Farming,
Farmed since ranch's inception,
Good Crops--1932,
Biggest wheat crop--1947,
Ranch employees (again),
Hire men wit families to maintain purebred sights on ranch,
Pitchfork land acquisition,
Received land from grants,
Cattle (again),
Shipment practices from Narcisso, Texas,
Roads (again),
Little traffic on county roads,
Highway cuts through ranch
Range Dates: 1930-1976
Bulk Dates: 1950-1976
Access Information
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Transcript:
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