THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 27 



and stacking small grain, and damaged some of it in shocks, but they were 

 of material benefit to late corn, potatoes and pastures. Corn made rapid 

 progress toward maturity, but owing to the large amount of late planted 

 corn, the crop as a whole was 10 days to two weeks later than usual. 



The first 10 days of September were excessively warm, but much cooler 

 weather prevailed after that date with killing frosts and temperatures near 

 or below the freezing point on the 26th and 29th. Rain fell somewhere in 

 the state on every day of the month, except the 30th, and as -a result thresh- 

 ing was delayed and considerable grain in shock and stacks was damaged. 

 The rains, however, put the ground in excellent condition for fall plowing 

 and seeding, and were very beneficial to pastures and meadows. Corn made 

 unusually rapid progress during the first 12 days, but the cool weather 

 following checked the rapid development, and from 20 to 30 per cent of tlie 

 crop was more or less damaged by the killing frosts and freezing tempera- 

 tures during the last week. 



The first half of October was wet, but the remainder of that month and 

 all of November and December was dry and pleasant, with much Indian 

 Summer weather during the early part of the period. There being no 

 storms of importance after the middle of October, rapid progress was made 

 during October and November in gathering the largest crop of corn ever 

 produced in the state, and practically all of the crop was in cribs by the 10th 

 of December. The contrast between the first three and last three months 

 of 1912 was very marked. The first three months were abnormally cold 

 with an excessive amount of snow, while most of the last three was mild 

 and pleasant with a great excess of clear days. 



