6 



DEY-LAND GRAINS IN THE GREAT BASIN. 



It is during June and early July that the dry-land grains are most 

 severely tried, and only those grains that are able to withstand the 

 drought of this period can be successfully grown under conditions 

 similar to those obtaining at Nephi. The month of May is the wettest 

 of the year in the Juab Valley, its average being 2.13 inches for the 

 past twelve years. Table I shows, however, that the precipitation 

 of this month varies quite widely. The highest precipitation in 

 May was 5.57 inches, in 18^8, and the lowest was 0.16 inch, in 1902. 

 Further use of Table I will be made later in the report. 



SEASONAL RAINFALL. 



The quantity and distribution of the rainfall during the growing 

 season are matters of high importance in dry-land grain production. 

 Regardless of the precipitation during other months of the year, the 

 grain crop in the Mountain States depends very largely upon the 

 moisture conditions prevailing during the months of April, May, and 

 June. Hence, in judging of the agricultural possibilities of a locality 

 and in determining upon the most desirable farming practices it is not 

 sufficient to consider merely the total annual amount of precipitation 

 received. The seasonal rainfall must be taken into account. 



The rainfall of the growing months (April, May, and June) in the 

 Juab Valley during the past twelve years is reported in Table II. 



Table II. — Precipitation {in inches) during the growing season {April, May, and June) 

 in the Juab Valley, Utah, from 1S98 to 1909, inclusive, with the average, the maxi- 

 viiim, and the minimum for each month. 



Year. 



1906 



1907 



1908 



1909 



Average.. . 

 Ma.ximum 

 Miniimim. 



Total. 



6.22 

 4.27 

 4.60 

 3.06 



4.11 

 7. 53 

 1.39 



It will be noticed that extremely wide variations occur in a given 

 month from year to year. April has varied from 3.70 inches in 1900 

 to 0.29 inch in 1908 ; May, from 5.59 inches in 1898 to 0.16 inch in 1902 ; 

 June, from 1.58 inches in 1907 to 0.02 inch in 1904. It is notable that 

 June has received as much as an inch only once in twelve years. The 

 total for the three-months period specified has varied from 7.53 inches 

 in 1898 to 1.39 inches in 1902, the average seasonal rainfall being 

 4.11 inches. 



[Cir. 61] 



