OFFICIAL DOCUMENT, No. 



BOTA^i!CAt, 

 iiAU.DE.ti 



SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

 Harrisburg, Pa,, January 1, 1911. 



To Hon. Edwin S. Stuart, Governor of Pennsylvania: 



Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith the report of the opera- 

 tions of the Department of Agriculture for the year 1910, together 

 with an estimate of the products of the farms of the State for the 

 year, a partial preliminary report of agricultural statistics obtained 

 from the Thirteenth Census of the State, some results achieved in 

 the way of agricultural progress through the agency of this Depart- 

 ment and some suggestions for future work and development. 



CLIMATIC AND CONSEQUENT CROP CONDITIONS FOR THE 



YEAR 



The rainfall for January averaged 4.97 inches, or about 1.50 of an 

 inch above normal, which caused considerable flooding of the rivers 

 of the State. 



For February the rainfall amounted to 3.20 inches, about 0.58 of 

 an inch below normal. 



The month of March was remarkable for the total absence of 

 weather conditions such as are characteristic of this season of the 

 year. The rainfall averaged a little over half an inch for the State 

 and was 3.16 below normal ; the temperature averaged 8 degrees 

 above normal. 



With these weather conditions, farming operations began early, 

 oats was sown, spring plowing for corn began and all growing crops 

 were started fully two and more weeks before the usual time, and 

 the buds of fruit trees were abnormally advanced. 



The month of April was abnormal in both excessive temperature 

 and precipitation and was noted for the absence of those periods of 

 cold weather usually experienced at this season. 



The average rainfall for the month was 5.7 inches, about 2 inches 

 above normal. 8.50 inches of rain fell in Hamburg, Berks county, 

 which is 4.85 inches above normal. This excessive precipitation re- 

 tarded agricultural operations during this month and in some in- 

 stances destroyed fruit buds. 



The average precipitation for the month of May was 3.30 inches, 

 which is considerable below normal ; but the cool and cloudy weather 

 with frequent showers and frosts during the first half of the month 

 conserved the soil moisture sufficiently for all crops to make nor- 

 mal growth. 



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