162 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III. 



short — too short to harvest in some localities in the west central and 

 northwest counties, yet thrashing returns showed yields slightly above 

 the 10-year average over most of the State and the quality was much 

 better than last year. Winter wheat, spring wheat and barley were not 

 injured as much as expected, the yield and quality being generally satis- 

 factory. 



In contrast with June, July was cool and wet, which went far to 

 repair the crop damage. In only a few northern counties did the temper- 

 ature get as high as 90°. Beginning with a general rainstorm July 

 5th-7th, frequent copious rains broke the drouth. Much damaging hail 

 attended the rain, yet the benefits of the storms far oueweighed the 

 damage. Some of the storms had tornadic characteristics in small 

 areas. Small grains, standing and in shock, were damaged by the wind 

 and rain. Yet harvest progressed well. Much fruit was blown from the 

 trees, but an abundance remained for full development. 



August was the warmest month of the year, the greatest temperature 

 excess occurring about the 15th-24th, followed by an abrupt change to 

 50° colder at a number of stations. Excessive rainfall in some southwest 

 counties was centered in Shelby county where 9.46 inches fell at Har- 

 lan, but for the State as a whole precipitation was deficient. Shocked 

 grain was damaged in the wet area, while corn, pastures and truck crops 

 were injured by drouth in some eastern counties. Much of the State 

 was visited by severe hailstorms and there was considerable damage from 

 wind squalls. 



September was warm and considerably drier than the average, the 

 warmest period being the first eight days, during which over much of 

 the State the highest temperatures of the year occurred. Many northern 

 and eastern stations had the highest September temperatures of record — 

 at one station the highest in 50 years. Slight frosts occurred on the 

 10th, 11th, 16th, 25th, 26th and 27th, but no damage resulted. Silo 

 filling and fodder cutting made good progress. The corn stood up much 

 better than last year, and there was much less damage from corn ear 

 worm. Commercial sweet corn and tomato canning proceeded under 

 favorable conditions, the quality of the pack being very good and the 

 quantity considerably larger than last year. Deficient rainfall impeded 

 plowing and preparation for winter wheat seeding, and together with the 

 heat wave, is thought to have shortened the corn yield slightly, but this 

 was off-set by hastening the maturity of the corn. Winter wheat seeding 

 was delayed to avoid the Hessian fly, which was unusually numerous till 

 near the close of the month. 



The first six and last eight days of October were unusually warm. 

 Killing frosts occurred on the 9th over a large area in the northwest 

 portion, and on the 12th over most of the State, except a few Mississippi 

 River counties which did not experience a killing frost till the 18th. 

 About 97 per cent of the corn matured without frost damage. The crop 

 dried rapidly and much was cribbed toward the close of the month. Win- 

 ter wheat seeding progressed rapidly at the beginning of the month and 

 85 per cent was finished by October 10th. Moisture was generally suffi- 

 cient for germination of the wheat which made good growth until near 



