24 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



CLIMATE AND CROP REVIEW 



CROP SEASON, 1911 



In some respects, the year 1911 was decidedly unfavorable for agricul- 

 ture and other industries of Iowa, but the damaging effects of drought and 

 excessively high temperatures during a part of the crop season were, in 

 a measure, compensated by favorable conditions during the remainder of 

 the season, so that the final output was, with a few exceptions, nearly up 

 to the normal, and the value was far in excess of any previous year in the 

 history of the state. 



January was a very pleasant month, with comparatively few cold days 

 and no severe storms, but considerable damage was done in the southeast- 

 ern counties by rain on the 13th and 14th, which froze on trees, vines and 

 walks as it fell, covering them with a heavy coat of ice. The absence of 

 snow during the larger part of the month, especially in the southern coun- 

 ties, allowed stock to be on pasture throughout the month, and highways 

 were in fine condition. 



February was the wettest and, with one exception, the warmest month 

 of that name on record since state-wide observations began in 1890. The 

 notable characteristics of the month were the heavy snow storm on the 

 5th; the heavy rains between the 13th and 18th; the long period of ex- 

 cessive cloudiness between the 11th and 18th, and the absence of severely 

 cold weather. The high temperatures after the 10th caused the snow 

 that fell on the 5th to melt rapidly, and as the ground was frozen at that 

 time, the water ran off quickly. This, together with the heavy rains be- 

 tween the 13th and 18th, caused an unprecedented high stage of all rivers 

 and creeks for so early in the season. The snow was practically gone, and 

 there was very little or no frost in the ground at the close of the month. 



The weather during the first 25 days of March was very pleasant, the 

 temperature being considerably above the normal, with very little precipi- 

 tation. After the 2Gth lower temperature prevailed and snowstorms were 

 frequent. Although the temperature was above the normal, it was suffi- 

 ciently low during the latter half of the month to retard the growth of 

 vegetation and the development of fruit buds. Farmers were in the fields 

 early in the month, and much of the small grain was sown and consider- 

 able ground plowed preparatory to corn planting. Small grains and 

 grasses came through the winter in good condition, notwithstanding the 

 fact that much of the time there was no snow on the ground. 



The first two weeks of April were abnormally cold and stormy with 

 heavy snow over the northern half of the state on the 5th and 6th, when 



