IRRIGATION DURING THE SEASON OF 1903 AT MISSOURI AGRI- 

 CULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. • 



By H. J. Waters, Director. 



During the season of 1903 the cooperativ'^e experiments in irrigation 

 were continned with strawberries, asparagus, nursery stock (consist- 

 ing of apple, peach, and plum trees), and onions. 



The season taken as a whole may be said to have been favorable 

 for growing crops, although the excess of moisture during the late 

 spring and early summer was a detriment to farm work for a time. 

 The summer was cooler than usual throughout, with the exception 

 of May and July. The first part of April was warmer than usual, 

 but during the latter part of the month the weather was generally 

 cool, with heavy frosts on the 23d and 26th. The mean temperature 

 of the month was 5-4. 9° F. , or 1. 5° below the normal. The precipitation 

 exceeded the normal by 1.68 inches and was fairly well distributed. 

 The first week of May was unseasonably cool. A killing frost occurred 

 on the first, but the remainder of the month was warm, with frequent 

 showers. The mean temperature was 65°, or 0.5° above the normal. 

 The rainfall was abundant, being slightly above the normal for the 

 month. June was exceptionally cool and dry, the mean temi^erature 

 (66.4°) being 7.9° below the normal, while there was less than half 

 the usual amount of precipitation. July averaged slightly warmer 

 than usual, the mean temperature being 77.3°, or 0.9° above the nor- 

 mal, while the precipitation was markedly deficient, being 1.91 inches 

 below the normal. August was cool and showery, the mean tempera- 

 ture (73.9°) being 2.1° below the normal, with about double the usual 

 amount of precipitation. The following table gives the precipitation 

 for the season at Columbia, Mo. : 



Precipitation, April- August, 1903, at Coliimhia, Mo. 



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