672 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



10 to 15 per cent is yet to be planted and there is some plowing to be done 

 on the lower bottoms. Cut worms, wire worms and bill bugs have damaged 

 corn, but probably not as much as usual for the State as a whole. Dry 

 soil is preventing germination of corn in southern Benton and portions of 

 Linn counties and hard, baked and cloddy soil is interfering with cultiva- 

 tion in sections that were too wet earlier in the season. Fields are gen- 

 erally clean of weeds. In many sections of the State showers would be 

 beneficial, but in the Coon River Valley and south to the south line and 

 east through the southern two tiers of counties the rains of the week 

 have been heavy to excessive; also at Washta in Cherokee county. 



Winter wheat has made good progress and is heading in the sections 

 having the largest acreage. Oats have improved, but the color is bad on 

 account of bad soil conditions in the southern counties. • 



The first crop of alfalfa has been cut in some counties and will soon 

 be cut in all portions of the State. The crop is good. Clover is in bloom 

 in the south half of the State. It with other hay promises well except in 

 a few dry localities. Pastures have made excellent growth, but in the 

 west-central counties are generally under stocked. 



Apples have been seriously attacked by canker worm in localities but 

 the crop in general promises well where sprayed. The small fruit crop 

 will be good. Strawberries are ripe in the south and beginning to ripen 

 in the northern districts. 



The weather has been favorable for planting and cultivation of sugar 

 beets, though too cool for best growth and the plants are small. The 

 acreage has been greatly increased. Potatoes, truck and gardens are slow. 



The secretary of the State Horticultural Society reports the condition 

 of fruit on June 1 as follows: "Apples 85; Americana plums 78; cherries 

 81; pears 69; strawberries 90; grapes 85; red raspberries 82; black rasp- 

 berries 87: blackberries 83; gooseberries 80; currants 82; peaches, (few 

 grown) 40; Domestica plums, (few grown) 69; Japanese plums, (few grown) 

 62 per cent. The average for all fruit is 76 per cent, which is 14 per cent 

 higher than the condition reported one year ago and 3 per cent lower than 

 the May 1, 1920, report. At the present time it would seem that Iowa will 

 have the best crop of fruit she had at any time." 



Bulletin ^o. 10, June 15, 1920 — 



Hot, dry weather, with abundant sunshine prevailed, except scattered 

 showers, mostly light, though excessive rain fell in Lyon county accom- 

 panied by damaging hail and wind on the 11th. Maximum temperatures 

 of 90° or higher occurred on nearly every day and many stations had 95° 

 or higher on the 13th. The mean temperature, 80°, is 12° above normal, 3° 

 above the corresponding week last year, and the warmest June week since 

 June 3-9, 1911. 



Corn made rapid progress but varies from the just breaking through 

 the ground, to some more than a foot high. There is yet about 5 per cent 

 of the acreage to be planted in some southern counties. The earliest corn 

 has been cultivated twice. Fields are mostly clean of weeds except where 

 there is a shortage of labor. 



"Winter wheat is generally in head and is entering upon the most critical 

 period — the filling period. Spring wheat is beginning to head and oats are 

 jointing, though both are short. Oats are showing much red discoloration 

 of the leaves, but otherwise small grain diseases are not as prevalent as 

 at this date last year, due probably to the dry weather. The humidity of 

 the past week has been about 20 per cent less than during the correspond- 

 ing week last year. 



Small fruits are badly needing rain, especially strawberries which are 

 ripening in the south half of the State. Cherries are beginning to turn in 

 the central counties. Grapes are in full bloom and are quite promising. 

 Apples are dropping badly where not properly sprayed. 



