792 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Following Is a summary showing average condition of crops on August 

 1st, as compared with the average of past years on that date, except 

 fruit, which is compared with last year's crop as shown by reports of 

 township assessors: Corn, 97 per cent; pastures, 84; potatoes, 80; flax, 

 91; apples, 25; plums, 52; grapes, 87 per cent. 



Bulletin No. 19. For the week ending August 16, 1914. — The average 

 temperature for the week was about normal, the days being bright and 

 hot and the nights cool. Light to copious showers occurred in a few 

 localities, but over the larger part of the State the rainfall was practically 

 nil or the amounts were too small to be of any material benefit. The 

 greatest measurements of rainfall were reported from the west central, 

 northwestern, north central and eastern counties and the least from the 

 central and southern sections. Corn is steadily retrograding, and much 

 of it in the southern districts is past the stage where rain would be of 

 any benefit. Corn on sandy soil is firing badly in all parts of the state, 

 and the prospective crop has been reduced eight to ten million bushels 

 during the week, yet in many localities over the northern half of the 

 state the crop is in excellent condition, and there has been sufficient rain- 

 fall to assure its maturity. In some of the southern counties, corn is 

 being cut to save the fodder. Pastures are brown and afford but little or 

 no feed. Spring seeded grasses are burned out, and late potatoes arc 

 suffering badly. Shallow wells and small streams are dry, and the lack 

 of water for stock is serious. Threshing is progressing rapidly and is 

 completed in many localities. But little fall plowing has been done. 



Bulletin No. 20'. For the week ending August 23, 1914. — The high tem- 

 peratures and hot winds that prevailed at the close of last week continued 

 during the first two days of this week. The remainder of the week was 

 slightly cooler, with more or less cloudiness and local showers on two or 

 three days in a few localities. The week was, however, hot and generally 

 dry, the average temperature being about 9 degrees above the normal. 

 The rainfall was nil or light except over the east central district and in 

 portions of Madison, Union, Adams and Decatur counties, where the 

 amounts exceeded an inch. The hot winds were very damaging to corn, 

 and on high and sandy land the crop is badly fired. However, with 

 normal weather during the next three weeks the northern half of the 

 state will produce more per acre than the state average of past years. 

 In the southern counties the crop will be much below the average, yet in 

 some localities, where timely showers occurred, the yield will exceed 

 thirty bushels per acre. The dry, hot weather was also damaging to 

 potatoes, pastures, apples and garden truck. 



Bulletin No. 21. For the week ending August 30, 1914. — The weather 

 conditions were much more favorable during the past week than they 

 were during the preceding three weeks. The temperature was below nor- 

 mal, and the nights were cool, which, together with a few showers, 



