24 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The first six days of March Avere mild and pleasant, but most of the 

 remainder of the month was cold with frequent snow and rain storms, 

 accompanied by thunder and lightning and brisk to high winds. The 

 snowfall in the central and northern counties was exceptionally heavy, 

 and exceeded all previous records for March at several stations. The 

 low temperatures also broke all former records for the second decade of 

 the month in the north central counties, and the severity of the thunder 

 during the snow storm on the 9th was phenomenal. The 23d was the 

 warmest day of the month, when the maximum temperatures ranged from 

 45° in the northern to 71° in the southern counties. The lowest tempera- 

 ture for the month at all stations was recorded on the 17th and was 

 generally below zero in the northern districts; the lowest being 15° 

 below zero. The average precipitation for the State was slightly below 

 the normal for March, but the average snowfall was considerably above 

 the normal and was excessive in many localities. There was good 

 sleighing from five to ten days in the northern districts, which was un- 

 usual for that time of the year. There had not been sufficient growth 

 at the close of the month to determine whether or not the alternating 

 freezing and thawing weather during the winter had been injurious to 

 clover, winter grains and alfalfa. 



April was abnormally cold and cloudy with an excessive amount of 

 precipitation in all but the extreme western counties where there was 

 a slight deficiency. Freezing temperatures occurred in all districts every 

 week during April, and the month closed with the temperature at freez- 

 ing or below in all parts of the State; but the average temperature for 

 the month was 2.3° higher than the average for April, 1907, which was the 

 coldest April on record and the only one colder than April, 1909. The 

 precipitation, like the cold, was almost continuous, there being at least 

 a trace of rain or snow in some part of the State on every day during 

 the month, and the average snowfall was greater than the average of 

 any preceding April since 1S96. Thi;nder storms accompanied by hail 

 and wind squalls were frequent, and, in many cases, were quite des- 

 structive to property. Under the adverse conditions, field work was re- 

 tarded and was, at the close of the month, about two weeks behind the 

 average of former years. Field work was especially backward in the 

 east central and southeastern districts, where rain or snow fell almost 

 daily from the 12th to the 30th, and the seeding of oats in those districts 

 was only about three-fourths finished at the close of the month. A large 

 acreage intended for oats was abandoned in all parts of the State, thereby 

 reducing the acreage of that crop 6 per cent, below the acreage of 1908. 

 The acreage of wheat was, however, increased. Wheat and early sown 

 oats were up at the close of the month, but growing very slowly on 

 account of the frequent freezing weather. No blossoms appeared on 

 fruit trees except in the extreme southern counties, which was considered 

 to be a favorable indication for a good fruit crop. 



The cool wave that spread over the State at the close of April 

 continued during the first three days of May, and caused freezing tempera- 

 tures on one or more of these days in all parts of the State, and was at- 

 tended, on the first day by snow flurries over the central and northern 



