FOTTRTEENTII ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI. 825 



Bulletin No. 11, for the week ending June 15. — With the exception 

 of light local showers over the northern half of the state on Friday 

 night or Saturday, the week was dry and generally clear. The tempera- 

 tures were, however, unseasonably low during the first four days, and 

 light frosts occurred in many localities on one or more nights. AVhile 

 the weather was too cool for corn and garden truck all conditions were ex- 

 ceptionally favorable for field work, and the cultivation of corn has pro- 

 gressed rapidly. About all of the early planted fields have been plowed 

 once and many of them twice. Practically all of the corn is planted, 

 but some low ground that was intended for corn is still too wet to plow 

 and will be used for cane, millet or buckwheat. The acreage of corn 

 will, however, be about the same as last year. The cool, dry weather 

 has been beneficial to small grain, most of which is heading nicely and 

 is in fine condition. Considerable alfalfa was cut and put up without in- 

 jury by rain, and clover will soon be ready to harvest. Haying will be- 

 gin in the southern counties during the coming week, with every indica- 

 tion of heavy yields. Strawberries are beginning to ripen, but need rain to 

 mature a full crop. The week closes with much warmer weather, and all 

 indications are promising, but rain would be acceptable to soften the sur- 

 face of the ground. 



The following summary by the secretary of the state horticultural 

 society shows the average condition of fruit on June 1st: apples, 73 per 

 cent; pears, 48; American plums, 51; domestic plums, 48; cherries, 54; 

 peaches, 71; red raspberries, 77; black raspberries, 83; blackberies, 85; 

 grapes, 89; currants, 78; gooseberries, 70; strawberries, 76 per cent of a 

 full crop. 



Bulletin No. 12, for the week ending June 22. — Excessively high 

 temperatures and bright sunshine prevailed until Friday, when light 

 to heavy showers occurred in nearly all parts of the state. In some 

 localities the showers were unusually heavy, while in others the amount 

 of rainfull was only a trace. Over a strip about two counties wide, 

 from Polk to Fremont county, and over Mahaska, Washington, Johnson, 

 Linn, Iowa, Scott and Clinton counties, the amounts ranged from one to 

 more than three inches. The high temperature made corn grow rapidly, 

 and the dry, hot weather checked the tendency to rankness in small 

 grain. The conditions were favorable for field work, and cornfields are 

 now generally clean, and much clover and alfalfa and some slough 

 grass was put up in fine condition. The dry weather, however, cut the 

 strawberry and cherry crops short, and was beginning to affect pastures, 

 oats, potatoes and garden stuff, but the late rains will be of great bene- 

 fit to all growing crops. Ov.'ing to cool weather at pollinating time ap- 

 ples are dropping badly. 



Bulletin No. 13, for the week ending June 29. — Under the combined 

 effects of high temperatures, bright sunshine and sufficient moisture 

 corn has made exceptionally rapid growth, and much of it is now up to 

 the average stage for this time of the year. Probably a third of the 



