TWELFTH ANNUAL, YEAR BOOK— PART I 35 



localities to sell their stock. The condition of pastures, potatoes, fruit 

 and gardens continues to decline except in eastern counties where heavy 

 showers occurred on the 28th. Much depends on the weather during the 

 coming week. 



Bulletin No. 18. — August 6. — With very nearly normal temperature 

 and frequent showers over the larger part of the state, late crops gen- 

 erally show an improvement over last week. The rainfall was copious 

 to heavy over the eastern and extreme southwestern counties, and in 

 those sections the improvement, especially in late corn and potatoes, is 

 well marked, while in other districts where the showers were light to 

 moderate the improvement was slight or the crops barely held their own. 

 The rains, however, came too late over the western two-thirds of the state 

 to be of much benefit to early corn, which has been badly damaged by 

 the drought and will not produce more than half of a crop. Except ia 

 the eastern counties late corn has been in a critical condition, but with 

 a continuance of showers or a good soaking rain will make a fair yield. 

 Pastures and late potatoes have improved in many sections, but much 

 more rain is needed. Thrashing from shock has been completed in many 

 localities and a start has been made with fall plowing in sections where 

 there has been sufficient rain to soften the ground. The week closed with 

 heavy rains in the central counties. 



BuLLETix No. 19.- — August 13. — Both the temperature and rainfall were 

 above normal during the past week; the average daily excess of tem- 

 perature being about 3 degrees, and the rainfall ranged from nothing in 

 some of the southwestern countiesi to 5.54 inches in Dubuque county; the 

 average for the state being 1.50 inches. Showers occurred on one or more 

 days in nearly all sections, and were heavy over the central and northern 

 districts, and excessive and damaging in some of the northeastern coun- 

 ties, where they were, in many localities, accompanied by wind squalls, 

 thunder and lightning and heavy hail. The temperature exceeded 100 

 degrees at many stations in the southern section on the 10th. The drought 

 has been effectually broken over three-fourths of the state and the gen- 

 eral conditions have been decidedly more favorable for all unharvested 

 crops, pasturage and aftermath in meadows. The rains will check further 

 deterioration of vegetation and will be of material benefit in developing 

 the late corn, except in some localities in the southwestern counties where 

 the drought still continues. The rains, however, came too late to be of 

 much benefit to early corn which is, in many sections past recovery and 

 will, at the best make a light crop. Late potatoes show considerable im- 

 provement and pastures are becoming green again. The bulk of shock 

 thrashing has been completed except in eastern and northeastern counties 

 where the w^ork was suspended on account of wet weather. Much plowing 

 was done during the week and the indications are now favorable for a 

 large increase in the acreage of winter wheat. 



Bulletin No. 20. — August 20. — ^The past week was hot and generally 

 dry; the average daily excess of temperature being about 4 degrees, and 

 the rainfall was much below the normal except over the northeastern 

 counties and in some localities in Adair, Adams, Cass, Clarke, Ringgold 



