THE EXPERIMENT IN SOUTH DAKOTA. 



29 



considerable variation in the habit and development of the various 

 plats, but on none of the plats was there any evidence of any failure 

 to secure an excellent stand. 



WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING 1904 AND 1905. 



The state of the weather throughout the season was exceedingly 

 favorable, there being plenty of moisture at all times. This is 

 a factor of no small importance, especially at the critical period 

 following the removal of the nurse crop. The loss sustained by the 

 various strains on account of winterkilling during the winter of 

 1904-5 was comparatively small and probably did not reach more 

 than o per cent in any case. The Missouri and Tennessee clovers 

 were the worst sufferers in this respect among the American forms. 

 The loss b}' winterkilling had no perceptible effect on the yield so 

 far as could be observed; at least, the heaviest losers on this account 

 were b}^ no means those giving the lightest yields. 



The weather for the months of April, ^lay, Juno, and July, during 

 which the growth of the hay crop took place, was decidedly abnormal 

 for this section. The mean temperature for each of these months 

 was below normal from 2.5 to 4.6 degrees. The precipitation, as is 

 generally the case in comparatively cool seasons, was far above 

 normal for each of these months, except April, when it fell below 

 normal. 



The weather records at Milbank, 1 1 miles distant, give the following 

 data for these months in 1905: 



Table VII. — Temperature and rainfall at Milbank, S. Dak., during the growing season of 1905. 



Month. 



April 

 Maj'. 

 June. 

 July. 



Temperature. 



I 



Precipitation. 



Mean tor i ^,^^^'1^ I Total for 

 month. f'^''™ "" I month. 



F. 

 42.2 

 52.4 

 63 1 

 67.4 



F. 



-2.7 



-4.0 



-2.5 



-3.1 



Inches. 

 1.25 

 7.35 

 8.60 

 5.27 



Departure 

 from nor- 

 mal. 



Inches. 

 -0.96 

 + 4.50 

 +4.82 

 +2.65 



As in the case of Nebraska, there was great variation in the dates 

 of first and full bloom; but inasmuch as careful notes of the actual 

 dates were not kept, through inadvertence, it is impossible to report 

 in detail on these points. 



The first sample to come to the proper maturity for harvesting 

 was that from Oregon, followed soon by the New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania plats. A period of very rainy weather which followed the 

 cutting and curing of these plats made it impossible for a time to 

 proceed with the harvest, and on the night of July 3 came a veritable 



95 



