784 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



killing frost occurred on the 15th. Light snow flurries, the first of the 

 season, occurred in the eastern counties on the 26th. Much of the corn 

 crop was harvested and pastures, meadows and fall sown grains were in 

 excellent condition. 



The weather during November was remarkably mild, dry and sunshiny. 

 The general absence of precipitation caused dusty roads in some parts of 

 the State, but the lack of moisture did not materially shorten pasturage 

 for stock, which was out all the month. Corn gathering progressed with 

 but little interruption, and by the close of the month a large percentage 

 of the crop had been cribbed. 



December was, with one exception, the coldest month of that name of 

 record. There was more cloudiness, more snow, and a greater number 

 of days with measurable precipitation than usual, but these adverse con- 

 ditions were counterbalanced by the fact that the wind movement was 

 extremely light. Snow flurries were frequent after the 7th, and the tem- 

 perature was unusually low during the second and third decades of the 

 month. At Iowa City, the 26th was the coldest December day since De- 

 cember 31, 1863. Grains and grasses were well protected by a thick 

 mantle of snow during the coldest weather. Rivers were frozen over be- 

 tween the 10th and 16th and by the end of the month ice was 8 to 12 

 inches thick. The ice harvest began on the 28th at many places in the 

 state. 



CLIMATE AND CROP BULLETINS. 



Summaries of Weekly Bulletins Issued in the Season of 1914. 



Bulletin No. 1. For the week ending April 12, 1914. — The winter of 

 1913-14 was the warmest winter of record and was, with four exceptions, 

 the driest winter since 1890. The average temperature for the five months, 

 November to March, inclusive, was only 0.4 degree below the freezing 

 point, and there was less snowfall than for any winter since state-wide 

 observations began. March was warmer and drier than usual, but owing 

 to wet, inclement weather during the last decade of the month and un- 

 usually cold weather during the first eleven days of April farm work has 

 been delayed and fruit buds are still dormant. Freezing temperatures 

 were general on four or five mornings of the past week, and as a result 

 but little field work could be done. While the sub-soil is dry, the recent 

 rains and snows have been sufficient to thoroughly moisten the surface 

 and the ground is in excellent condition for plowing and seeding as soon 

 as warmer weather prevails. Fall sown grains and clovers suffered but 

 little damage from winter killing, due to the fact that although the winter 

 was mild the temperature was uniformly moderately cool. There are, 

 however, some fields in the extreme southern counties that appear to be 

 spotted, and the Hessian fly is reported to have caused 8 to 10' per cent 

 damage to the crop in Scott county, but the condition for the state as a 

 whole is at least 5 per cent better than it was on April 1, 1913, and the 

 acreage is considerably greater than it was last year. Owing to the con- 

 tinued cold weather the seeding of oats has but fairly begun. The bulk 



