2^4 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Acting Secretary A. ii. Corey read the annual report covering 

 the work of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and the Iowa 

 State Fair and Exposition, as follows : 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



A. R. COREY. 



The season of 1911 has been one full of promise and disappointment with 

 regard to crop prospects during the different stages of the growing season. 

 The planting season opened under most promising conditions; the acreage 

 planted was above normal, and weather condition was unusually favorable 

 for farm work and for the growth of farm and fruit crops. 



Our farmers were especially favored with excellent weather and soil 

 condition during corn planting season; the corn was all planted in good 

 time; sprouted quickly, and showed almost a perfect stand. 



The months of June and July were remarkable for their high tempera- 

 ture and deficiency in rainfall. The small grain, pastures, and early pota- 

 toes — which were practically a failure — evidenced the greatest damage 

 from the severe drouth. The continued drouth and hot winds did a great 

 deal of damage to early corn as the pollen was destroyed and poor, uneven 

 fertilization was the result. 



The bountiful rainfall during the months of August and September 

 added millions of bushels to Iowa's corn crop and also brought out the late 

 potato crop far beyond our expectations. 



While I have had no intimation as to what the report which Dr. George 

 M. Chappel, Director, Iowa Weather and Crop Service, will make to this 

 convention today will contain, I believe it will show that Iowa has again 

 produced her share of the stajile crops, notwithstanding the fact tbat we 

 have suffered the driest season in years. 



FARM STATISTICS. 



We should all be interested in the Iowa farm statistics recently pub- 

 lished by the U. S. Bureau of the Census, for they reveal a material in- 

 crease in acreage and production for all of Iowa's principal farm crops 

 over the figures reported by the Iowa Weather and Crop Service, and the 

 figures compiled by this department from reports made by the township 

 assessors to the county auditors. These figures are for the year 1909 and 

 show the corn acreage to be 9,229,378 acres, and the production 341,750,463 

 bushels — 'an increase of 547,528 acres and an increase of 33,713,565 bushels. 



For oats the census gives 4,645,154 acres with a production of 128,- 

 198,055 bushels, an increase of 333,020 acres and an increase in production 

 of 11,114,205 bushels. 



For potatoes the census shows 169,567 acres, and 14,710,247 bushels har- 

 vested, an increase of 31.428 acres and an increase of 2,282,652 bushels. 



The total value of Iowa farm crops for the year 1909, as shown by the 

 Bureau of the Census, is $395,739,105.00. Add to this our figures on value 

 of pastui*a.ge, orchard and garden products — for which the bureau has as 

 yet issued no figures — and we would have a total valuation of $507,739,- 



