TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 25 



3 to 12 inches fell. On the 7th, the minimum temperatures in the northern 

 counties ranged from 3° to 10°, and freezing temperatures generally pre- 

 vailed during the first half of the month, and on many nights during the 

 latter half. The la^t five days were, however, moderately warm. The 

 continued cold weather kept vegetation, and especially fruit huds very 

 nearly dormant, and fruits of all kinds bloomed fully a month later than 

 in 1910. The month, as a whole, was favorable for farm work, and the 

 spring seeding was practically completed during the third week. A large 

 acreage was plowed and prepared for corn, but very little or no planting 

 was done 



The first five days of May were cool; the temperature being consider- 

 ably below freezing in the northern counties, on one or more days, and 

 slightly below freezing at many stations in the southern districts. From 

 one to four inches of snow fell in the northern part of the state on the 

 1st, and snow flurries were quite general on that day in the central dis- 

 tricts. After the 5th the temperature was above the normal except on 2 

 or 3 days. The rainfall was below the normal, and especially in the south- 

 eastern corner of the state, where no rain fell until the 19th, and only .42 

 inch during the month. As a whole, the month was unusually favorable 

 for farm operations and the growth of vegetation. Corn was practically 

 all planted before the 20th; and under the effects of high temperatures 

 it came up quickly and showed almost a perfect stand. No replanting 

 was necessary except on sod ground, where cut worms were somewhat 

 more active than usual. The soil was in excellent condition, and the fields 

 were generally clean, most of the corn having been cultivated once before 

 the close of the month. Small grain was very promising, but the condi- 

 tion of the hay crop was below normal, owing to deficiency of moisture. 

 Fruit did not bloom until about the middle of the month, after the last 

 frost occurred. 



June was the hottest and driest month of that name on record, there 

 being an excess of 6.9° in temperature and a deficiency of 2.70 inches of 

 precipitation. The rainfall came in the form of widely scattered local 

 showers at long intervals, except over the northeastern counties, where the 

 showers were quite frequent and the rainfall suflBcint to keep all vegeta- 

 tion in fairly good condition. Over the southeastern, south and north- 

 western counties, the drought was severe, and all crops, except corn, suf- 

 fered; early potatoes, garden truck, grass, pasturage, and the late small 

 grains being damaged the most. Oats headed short and began ripening 

 prematurely, thereby lowering the average condition of the crop materially. 

 Pastures were bare at the close of the month, and the water supply was 

 failing in many localities. Corn, however, made remarkably rapid growth, 

 and at the end of the month much of it was more than waist high and 

 practically all of it had been laid by. 



The notable characteristics of July were the excessively high temper- 

 atures during the first 5 days; the unusually cool weather from the 11th 

 to the 28th; the excessive amount of sunshine; and, over the larger part 

 of the state, the continuance of the severe drought. From the 1st to the 

 5th maximum temperatures of 100° or higher, were recorded on one or 

 more days at all but one station in the state, and at many station in the 



