36 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



and Union counties -where copious to heavy showers occurred. The maxi- 

 mum temperatures on the 16th ranged from 98 to 105 degrees over the 

 southern district, but for the state as a whole, the conditions were favor- 

 able for all late crops. Except in some localities in southern and south- 

 western counties, corn, late potatoes, grass and apples made considerable 

 improvement under the effect of light local showers during the week and 

 the copious to heavy rains of the preceding week. Much of the early 

 planted corn is beginning to dent and the late corn is in the roasting ear 

 stage, and most of it is doing well. Even in the dry districts, occasional 

 light showers have checked the deterioration of corn. Pastures and late 

 potatoes have made a decided improvement over the northern and south- 

 ern districts and now afford considerable feed. Thrashing has been re- 

 sumed in the northeastern counties and much fall plowing has been done. 



Bulletin No. 21. — August 27. — The week was cool and unusually dry; 

 only a few light and widely scattered showers occurred. In many lo- 

 localities over the western and southern counties no rain fell during the 

 week, and in those sections the drought is still serious. In the north- 

 eastern district the rainfall was more copious, and practically all crops 

 are in excellent condition, but considerable small grain in shock has been 

 damaged bj'' the continuous wet weather during the past 5 weeks. In other 

 sections of the state corn on light or rolling ground is dying very rapid- 

 ly and some of it is already being cut. Reports made on August 25th by 

 the correspondents of this service show that the average condition of com 

 was 75 per cent, or a gain of 6 points since August 1st. With normal 

 weather conditions about 65 per cent of the crop will be safe from frost 

 on September 15th; 80 per cent on September 25th; 95 per cent on Sep- 

 tember 30th, and practically all of it by October 10th. The average condi- 

 tion of late potatoes on August 25th was 54 per cent, or an improvement 

 of 20 points since August 1st. In many localities in western and southern 

 counties farmers are feeding their stock green corn on account of no pas- 

 turage. Much more than the usual amount of corn will be cut and saved 

 as a substitute for hay. Fall plowing is progressing in sections where 

 sufficient rain has fallen to soften the ground. In other sections that 

 work has been suspended. Apples, plums, peaches and grape crops are 

 larger than usual. A summary of the late reports from threshers show 

 the average yield of small grain to be as follows: Winter wheat, 20 bushels 

 per acre; spring wheat, 14; oats, 25; barley, 22; rye, 17, and timothy 

 seed, 3 bushels per acre. 



Bulletin* No. 22. — September 3. — Another week with practically no rain 

 has been added to the record of this abnormal season. Only a few light 

 and widely scattered showers occurred, the amounts of rainfall being 

 generally less than a tenth of an inch, and in many localities did not 

 exceed a trace while in other places there was no rain. The first part of 

 the week was very cool, but the latter half was unusually warm. A trace 

 of frost was observed on low ground in many localities in the northern 

 half of the state on August 28th and 29th, but no damage was done. 

 Last year the first light frost occurred on August 26th and in 1909, an 

 August 29th. On Thursday and Friday the maximum temperatures were 

 generally above 90 degrees, and exceeded 100 degrees at a few stations 



