828 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



light and widely scattered showers. All vegetation is badly in need 

 of rain. Pastures and potatoes have been seriously injured, but corn 

 on good soil is holding its own remarkably well, and nearly all of it 

 in the northern half of the state is still in good condition. In the south- 

 ern counties, where there has been little or no rain since June 25th, 

 corn has been damaged, but reports as to the amount of injury done 

 are conflicting. Some claim that if rain comes soon there will have been 

 little or no damage, while others say that there will not be more than 

 half of a crop regardless of future condition. An average of about 1,000 

 reports indicates that there was a loss of only four points in condition 

 of corn in the state between July 1st and August 1st. 



Bulletin No. 19, for the week ending August 10. — ^The drouthy condi- 

 tions continued with increased severity until the 10th, when copious 

 showers occurred over the larger part of the state, and were followed 

 on Sunday night by heavy rains, accompanied by high winds in many 

 localities. On the 8th the temperature ranged from 100 to 105 degrees 

 over the southern sections, and were attended by hot winds. Corn in 

 the northern part of the state has held its own remarkably well and 

 gives promise of a good crop. In the southern counties corn has steadily 

 retrograded and the condition has been reduced 20 to 50 per cent since 

 July 15th. While much of the damage to corn is irreparable the rains 

 will greatly improve the general condition and prevent further injury. 

 The rains will also be of great value to potatoes, pastures, meadows and 

 gardens, and will increase the water supply, which was getting scarce 

 in the southern counties. 



Bulletin No. 20, for the week ending August 17. — The week was ex- 

 cessively hot and generally dry, but the heavy rains on the night of the 

 10th, and the local showers that occurred on several other days gave 

 sufficient moisture for present needs. The showers on the night of 

 the 10th were better distributed than was indicated by the few tele- 

 graphic reports given in the last bulletin, but they were, in many local- 

 ities, accompanied by high wind and severe squalls which did consider- 

 able damage to corn. The worst damage was done over a strip about 

 ten to fifteen miles wide extending from Guthrie to Jasper counties. 

 Within that area corn was badly lodged and some of it was blown down 

 but much of it is up again, and the final output will not be reduced as 

 much as estimated soon after the storm. Damage was also done by 

 the wind in other sections of smaller area, but the injury to the crop 

 as a whole will be light in comparison to the vast amount of benefit 

 resulting from the abundant moisture. The corn crop as a whole was 

 greatly benefited, but the rain came too late to improve the early corn 

 in the southern counties where the drought has been severe and of long 

 duration. Late potatoes, garden truck, pastures, meadows, and fruits 

 were also greatly benefited by the rains. Fall plowing has begun. 



