THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 25 



CLIMATE AND CROP REVIEW 



SEASON 1912. 



Notwithstanding the fact that both the average temperature and the 

 average precipitation were below the normal, and especially so during the 

 growing season, the year 1912, was, from an agricultural standpoint, the 

 most productive year in the history of Iowa. The yield of all staple farm 

 crops was far in excess of the average of past years. . Considering the fact 

 that the spring was late and cold, seed poor, cut and wire worms destruc- 

 tive, and the unusually great amount of replanting done, the abnormally 

 large yield of corn is remarkable; the estimated yield being nearly 

 5 bushels per acre more than was ever produced in the state, and 12 bushels 

 per acre more than the average of the past 22 years. 



The first three months of the year gave the lowest average temperature 

 and the most snow of any like period since the establishment of the 

 Weather Service in Iowa. January was the coldest month ever exper- 

 ienced in the history of Iowa. Not only was it the coldest, but the dura- 

 tion of the extremely cold period broke all previous records. The severe 

 cold weather caused a great amount of damage to water pipes and mains, 

 and suffering among the poor people and live stock, but fortunately the 

 ground was covered by a thick mantle of snow which protected the fall 

 sown grains. 



With the exception of low temperatures during the first 12 days and 

 the heavy snow storm over the southern and eastern counties on the night 

 of the 25th and 26th, February was a very pleasant winter month. The 

 high winds accompanying the snow storm in the southern counties caused 

 the snow to drift badly, and as a result traffic on highways and railroads 

 was delayed. Many highways were blocked for two or three days. 



March was one of, if not the coldest month of that name on record, and 

 it gave more snow than any month of any year since state-wide observations 

 began in 1890. The first half of the month was remarkable for the persis- 

 tency of low temperatures, the mean being from 10° to 25° below the nor- 

 mal almost daily. The latter half of the month was milder, but on only 

 one or two days was the mean temperature above the normal or the min- 

 imum temperature above the freezing point. However, a decided change 

 to spring-like conditions set in toward the close of the month, during which 

 time the snow melted rapidly, and by the 31st it had practically disap- 

 peared, except where it lay in drifts. Heavy snowstorms occurred on the 

 14th-15th and 20th, which were injurious to railroad traffic. Many trains 

 were delayed from 10 to 24 hours, and on some of the branch lines trains 

 were abandoned for one or two days. In the southern half of the state, ice 

 in the rivers went out between the 24th and 28th, but in the extreme north- 



