TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII 677 



Truck crops and gardens are good in nearly all portions of the State 

 though early potatoes are not very good in the southern portion. In the 

 large potato producing counties of the north-central portion of the State 

 new potatoes are so good and plentiful that they are being sold at re- 

 duced prices, while at Des Moines and Marshalltown the retail price is 

 $4.00 per bushel and further south the price is still higher. All truck crops 

 would be benefited by rain. 



Bulletin No. 17, August 3, 1920 — 



Cool nights with dry weather in most of the state, were unfavorable for 

 the best development of corn. The drouth is most marked in the extreme 

 northwest, east-central and Mississippi River counties, where on thin soils 

 corn is curling and firing, but would fully recover if rain comes soon. 

 Though the surface is dry, considerable moisture remains in the subsoil. 

 Corn and other deeply rooted crops are therefore not as a rule suffering 

 seriously. 



Harvesting, haying and thrashing progressed rapidly during the dry 

 weather of the past two weeks. Only occasional fields of late oats, barley 

 or spring wheat in the northern tier of counties remain unharvested. The 

 yield of winter wheat has been satisfactory. Thrashing returns from oats, 

 mostly in the southern half of the state where the crop in its early stages 

 was thought to be the poorest, show yields averaging slightly above 40 

 bushels per acre, or about 3 bushels per acre above the state-wide 10-year 

 average. In most of the northern part of the state the crop is reported as 

 turning out better than expected. Reports on spring wheat, especially in 

 the northern and western portions of the state, continue poorf The quality 

 of small grains other than spring wheat is good to excellent. This is partly 

 due to the excellent harvest weather. Thrashing is progressing rapidly 

 and less than the usual amount of stacking will be done. 



Truck crops, pastures and meadows in the drier areas are seriously 

 needing rain. The rains of early July in most sections of the state gave 

 newly seeded clover and grasses an excellent start. Some new clover fields 

 in the central part of the state have made such rank growth that a crop of 

 hay yet this season or much good pasturage is possible, if further rains 

 are timely. 



Bulletin No. 18, August 10, 1920 — 



Rains of the week were local and mostly insufficient. From Emmet 

 county southeast to Blackhawk and in portions of Dallis, Polk, Decatur, 

 Scott and Winneshiek counties the rains were copious and will insure a 

 corn crop so far as moisture is concerned. In the western districts the 

 extreme southeast counties and a few other small areas the drouth con- 

 tinues. 



Corn .has fired and curled badly on uplands and thin soils in many por- 

 tions of the State, yet most of the crop has not suffered beyond recovery. 

 Roasting ears are reported in the earlier fields, but the cool weather for a 

 long period prior to this week has had its effect and the crop as a whole is 

 at least a week later than normal for this date. Unless temperatures are 

 somewhat above normal during the next month there will be considerable 

 soft corn. 



Shock thrashing made good progress. Yields of oats, winter wheat, 

 barley and rye continue satisfactory and the quality is good, but spring 

 wheat is generally poor in yield and quality. Coal shortage has inter- 

 fered with thrashing in some localities and therefore caused more stacking 

 than was intended. Car shortage has retarded shipment and the elevators 

 are filled to capacity. 



Fall plowing has started where soil moisture is sufficient. There is less 

 complaint of shortage of farm labor than for several years. Unsettled con- 

 ditions of finance and transportation are causing cattle feeders to hesitate 

 in embarking upon their usual programs. 



