FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI. 819 



and 28tli. There was a slight excess of precipitation. Owing to tlic 

 wet weather during the first 11 days of the nrontli farm work was 

 delayed, but by the close of (lie month practically all of the seeding 

 of small grain was finished, early potatoes were planted and much 

 ground was prepared for corn. Grasses and. winter grains were in fine 

 condition and fruit trees were showing abundance of bloom in southern 

 and beginning to blossom in northern counties. 



With the exception of short periods of unusually high temperatures 

 at the beginning of the close of the month, May was cold and wet. Rain 

 fell at some place in the state on every day of the month, and as a 

 result plowing and corn planting were delayed until the 27th. 



June was characterized by low temperatures during the first half, and 

 almost continuously high temperatures during the latter half of the 

 month. At some stations the temperature between the 7th and 12th 

 was lower than ever before recorded in June. Corn probably never 

 made more rapid growth than it did during the latter half of the 

 month, and notwithstanding the fact that planting was delayed many 

 fields were knee to waist high and much of the crop had been laid 

 by in the southern counties by the close of the month, and general crop 

 conditions were excellent. 



July was the warmest month of that name since state-wide obser- 

 vations began in 1890, except 1894 and 1901, and it was the driest since 

 1894. Droughty conditions prevailed in all parts of the state, and 

 were severe over the southeastern counties. However, sufficient rain 

 fell over the southwestern and northern counties to keep corn in ex- 

 cellent condition, but pastures and potatoes suffered for moisture. 



August was characterized by an excess of temperature and a deficiency 

 of rainfall, but those features were more pronounced in the southern 

 than in the northern part of the state. In the southwestern counties 

 it was the warmest August on record, and one of the driest. High 

 temperatures were almost continuous. The showers were local and gen- 

 erally light, except on the night of the lOth-llth, when heavy rain fell 

 in some localities and was accompanied by damaging wind squalls over 

 the central counties where corn was blown down and uprooted. The 

 second and only other storm of importance occurred over the northern 

 counties on the night of the 17th-18th. Except in some of the northern 

 counties, all vegetation suffered by the absence of moisture and the 

 long continued high temperatures. At the close of the month pastures 

 were brown, late potatoes were practically a failure, and corn in the 

 southern counties was suffering. "Wells were failing and small streams 

 were dry in the southern part of the state. 



The high temperatures and droughty conditions continued with in- 

 creased severity during the first week of September. It was the hottest 

 week of record in September. The daily maximum temperature readings 

 were 100° or higher over the southern and considerably above 90° in the 

 northern counties. After the 7th the temperature was lower and light 

 frost occurred in the northern districts on the 13th, and killing frost 

 and freezing temperatures were general on the 22d. Owing to the high 

 temperatures during July, August and the early part of September, the 



