THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 37 



ers will probably secure their seed at the earliest date possible. Thresh- 

 ing has been further delayed by showers, but pastures, meadows and late 

 potatoes were greatly benefited by the needed moisture. The showers 

 have also been of great benefit to fall plowing and seeding, and that work 

 is being rushed. 



Bulletin No. 24. — For the week ending September 22. — The third week 

 in September was abnormally cold, with an excess of cloudiness and fre- 

 quent showers. The average daily temperature was about 7 degrees below 

 the normal, and light frost occurred in exposed places on the 19th and 

 21st, but no damage was done. Showers occurred in some parts of the 

 state on five days, and while the rainfall was fairly well distributed it 

 was generally below the normal although many localities received a slight 

 excess. The rapid maturing of corn was retarded by cool, wet and cloudy 

 weather, but it made considerable progress and 65 to 75 per cent of the 

 crop is beyond injury by a moderately heavy frost. The remainder of 

 the crop needs ten days of warm, drying weather to make it safe, and 

 three weeks to put it beyond danger of a hard freeze. Silos are being 

 filled and considerable corn put in shocks. Seed corn is being secured 

 in many localities, and that work will be general during the coming 

 week. The wet weather has also prevented much threshing being done, 

 and considerable grain in shocks and stacks is reported to be badly dam- 

 aged. The soil is in excellent condition for plowing, and where the rain- 

 fall was not too heavy fall seeding progressed rapidly. Pastures, meadows 

 and late potatoes are doing well. 



Bulletin No. 25. — For the week ending September 29. — The damp, 

 cloudy and cold weather which prevailed during the third week of the 

 month continued during the past seven days. Heavy to killing frosts 

 were general, and freezing temperatures occurred in many localities on 

 two or three mornings. Variable reports are received as to the damaging 

 effect of the recent frosts on the late-planted corn, but the extent of injury 

 will not be fully determined until after the crop has been harvested. 

 Probably 20 per cent of the crop was somewhat damaged, but as a whole, 

 the crop is remarkably large and sound in view of the fact that the spring 

 was late, and at many times during the season the weather was not con- 

 sidered to be favorable. Probably 80 to 85 per cent of the total yield will 

 be sound and merchantable, add the balance will possess much feeding 

 value. That there was not more damage done by the frosts is due to the 

 fact that over the large part, if not all of the state, the weather became 

 cloudy early in the morning after each frost and remained so during the 

 day. The final reports for the season will show that Iowa has produced 

 one of the largest, if not the largest crops of corn and small grain in the 

 history of the state. In fact, all crops have been good except apples. The 

 frequent and well-distributed showers have put the ground in excellent 

 condition for fall plowing, and considerable winter wheat was sown dur- 

 ing the past week. Pastures are in fine condition and stock is generally 

 healthy except some hog cholera prevailing in the southwestern counties. 



