IOWA WEATHER AND CROP REPORT 573 



was accomplished in this period and the seeding of oats was delayed. 

 After the eleventh only two shower periods occurred in connection with 

 the relative strong winds that prevailed the greater portion of the time. 

 the soil dried rapidly and caused a great deal of oats to fail to germinate 

 or resulted in a very poor stand. At the end of the month many fields in 

 the drier western sections that were intended for oats were being pre- 

 pared for corn. 



Many storms occurred throughout the State, especially during the first 

 eleven days. On the evening of the 6th, shortly after 8 p. m. a tornado 

 developed in the eastern portion of Dallas County and its influence was felt 

 in Polk, Boone and Story Counties, but the greatest damage occurred in 

 the northeast corner of Dallas County and the northwest corner of Polk 

 County. The storm originated near Moran and moved in a generally 

 northeasterly direction but the actual path was somewhat zigzag and the 

 tail of the funnel did not reach the earth at all points in its course. Five 

 farms were directly in its path. Two dwellings were partially destroyed, 

 resulting in the death of one woman and the injury of eleven people. 

 The loss to farm buildings was heavy, many being completely destroyed 

 and the contents scattered in all directions. The loss to buildings, stored 

 grain and stock was estimated at $200,000. On the same afternoon severe 

 hail storms occurred at many places in the western portion of the State, 

 the damage being particularly heavy to greenhouses in Council Bluffs 

 and it was estimated that the damage to glass and hothouse plants 

 amounted to .$100,000. On the 11th there appeared to be several tornadoes 

 in the southwestern portion of the State that were accompanied by severe 

 hail, the greatest damage being confined to Adams, Taylor and Ringgold 

 Counties. Many buildings were destroyed and many fruit trees and tele- 

 phone poles broken down. No human lives were lost but the loss to stock 

 was heavy. Horses were killed by buildings collapsing, and hogs and 

 chickens were killed by hail stones which were as large as hen's eggs, 

 and a stone in the shape of a disk was reported seven inches long and 

 three inches wide. The northwestern portion of the State was visited by a 

 heavy, wet snow on the 11th, that broke down trees and completely 

 wrecked telephone and telegraph lines. 



Pressure. The mean pressure (reduced to sea level) for the State was 

 30.00 inches. The highest recorded was 30.58 inches, at Davenport, on the 

 28th, and the lowest was 28.92 inches, at Des Moines, on the 8th. The 

 monthly range was 1.66 inches. 



Temperature. The mean temperature for the State, as shown by the 

 records of 98 stations, was 49.9°, or 1.2° higher than the normal. By 

 divisions, three tiers of counties to the division, the means were as fol- 

 lows Northern, 47.5°, or 0.8° higher than the normal; Central, 50.4°, or 

 1.5° higher than the normal; Southern, 51.8°, or 12° higher than the 

 normal. The highest monthly mean was 53.8° at Keokuk, and the lowest 

 was 45.2° at Northwood. The highest temperature reported was 87° at 

 Thurman, on the 6th, and the lowest was 21° at Boone, on the 1st. The 

 temperature range for the State was 65°. 



Humidity. The average relative humidity for the State at 7 a. m. was 

 79 per cent, and at 7 p. m. it was 59 per cent. The mean for the month 



