EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IX 507 



estimate, the state will produce more than 235,000,000 bushels of oats, or 

 an increase of about 50,000,000 as compared with last year, and 30,000,000 

 more than the largest crop ever before produced in the state. 



Bulletin No. 20, August 21, 1917 — 



The average temperature of the past week was nearly normal and the 

 rainfall was much below the seasonal average, there being only a few 

 widely scattered and generally light showers. The weather was, however, 

 ideal for threshing and stacking grain, and the Increased warmth was 

 more favorable for corn which made rapid progress toward maturity. 

 The crop is ten days to three weeks late, and with normal weather con- 

 ditions not more than 50 per cent of it will be out of danger of injury by 

 frost by the end of September. The bulk of the crop will need the greater 

 part of October without killing frost or freezing temperature. With dry, 

 warm weather these estimates will be greatly reduced as to time, but the 

 prospective yield will also be greatly reduced. Dry weather has already 

 greatly reduced the prospective yield over the south central counties. One 

 good, soaking rain and then normal temperature Is needed for the best 

 development of the crop. Rain is also badly needed for pastures, late 

 potatoes, new seeding of clover, timothy and alfalfa. Considerable damage 

 has been done in the east central and southeastern counties to young 

 clover and alfalfa by grasshoppers, which seem to be increasing in num- 

 bers and spreading over large areas. 



Bulletin No. 21, Augrust 28, 1917 — 



The week was rather cool, and over the greater part of the state was 

 very dry. The nights, especially, were very cool and there were only two 

 or three warm days. Light frost occurred in the extreme nothwest portion 

 of the state on the morning of the 2Sth, or one day later than last year. 

 The conditions were favorable for threshing and for all outdoor work, but 

 the ground Is too dry in most sections for satisfactory plowing, though 

 some of that work is being done. Corn made satisfactory progress con- 

 sidering the cool weather, but the crop is still late, ranging from fields 

 just beginning to tassel to the advanced roasting-ear stage in some of the 

 earliest fields. The outcome of the crop depends on the weather during the 

 next six weeks. Conditions must be much better than normal to insure an 

 average yield. The late potato crop is also in a precarious condition, de- 

 pending on whether or not sufficient rain comes during the next two 

 weeks. Grasshoppers have cleaned the meadows of all aftermath in many 

 localities in the southern counties. Pasturage is short in most sections 

 and farmers are feeding stock. 



Bulletin No, 22, September 4. 1917 — 



The week was cool, there being an average daily deficiency of about 3 

 degrees. The nights espcially were very cool, and a trace of frost was 

 observed on low ground in the northern counties on two mornings. The 

 rainfall was very light and poorly distributed until the last day, when 

 moderate to heavy showers occurred in nearly all districts. The rain will 

 be of great benefit for late potatoes, pastures and for softening the ground 

 for fall plowing preparatory to a greatly increased acreage of winter 

 wheat and rye, but is now ^ietrimental for the development of corn, which 

 absolutely needs dry, warm, sunshiny weather to mature the crop before 

 the average date of first killing frost. Reports received from crop cor- 

 respondents on September 1st show that with normal weather there will be 

 about 37 per cent of the corn crop safe from frost on September 20th; 59 

 per cent on September 30th; 87 per cent on October 15th. and at least 5 

 per cent of the corn will not be mature on October 31st. The average con- 

 dition of corn as compared with the average of past years on September 

 1st was 84 per cent; pastures, 80; potatoes, 95, and flax, 94. On September 

 1, 1916, the conditions were as follows: Corn, 83 per cent; potatoes, 58; flax, 

 88; pastures, 77. The low condition of corn last year was due to droughty 

 conditions over the southern counties, while this year the condition would 

 be excellent if it were not for the fact that the crop is so late. 



