582 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



days Good rains occurred in the northwest portion early in the weels, but drouth 

 continued in the south half of the state till somewhat relieved by rains Saturday 

 evening and Sunday; more rain is badly needed. Hot winds again prevailed on 

 Monday the 12th. The zone of damage to corn spread northward and has a rather 

 sharply defined northern boundary extending through the northern portions of the 

 counties from Harrison on the west to Scott on the east. The damage south of this 

 line approximates 25,000,000 bushels valued at $40,000,000 and will increase daily 

 as long as the hot winds and drouth continue. Many fields look as though they had 

 suffered from a killing frost. Efforts are being made to save the remnant of the 

 crop by cutting and shocking, filling silos or turning in livestock. In the north 

 half of the state prospects are excellent. 



Pastures, gardens, potatoes and new seedings of timothy and clover are a fail- 

 ure in the drouth-stricken area and stock water has failed in many places. 



Shock threshing and stacking progressed rapidly except in the north-central and 

 northwest districts where delayed by heavy rains early in the week, which 

 caused molding in the shock where the grain was weedy. Fall plowing is 

 progressing where there is sufficient moisture. 



BnII«tin No. 20, August 20, 1918 — 



Rain occurred in all portions of the state, but amounted to less than an inch in 

 the extreme western and south central counties, and in Sac, Calhoun, Humboldt, 

 Webster Boone and Blackhawk counties. Heavy local rains occurred Friday and 

 Saturday, and in the northeastern one-fourth of the state the rains were excessive 

 and damaging in many places. The largest weekly amount was 6.31 inches at Nora 

 Springs Temperatures were near 100 degrees in all sections Tuesday afternoon and 

 in the south half on Friday, though on the latter day the maximum varied from <I 

 at Decorah in the northeast to 102 at Clarinda in the southwest. 



Wet weather delayed threshing. Shocked grain was damaged in the northeast. 

 Only a small percentage of threshing remains to be done in the south half of the 

 state. Reports of yields continue good, particularly in the north. 



Corn made good progress where not injured beyond recovery by the heat and 

 drouth of the preceding two weeks. The rains are helping it to fill ; the earliest 

 is denting; and the crop is practically assured. In Johnson county the 90-daj 

 varieties are being snapped for hogs. In many south central and southwest counties^ 

 upland corn is a failure ; bottom land corn will yield only about 25 bushels , and 

 silos are being filled early to make the most of a bad situation. A large number 

 of silos have been built this year. 



The rains have softened the ground In most sections so that plowing is progress- 

 ing and a large acreage of fall wheat and rye is indicated. Tomatoes cucumbers, 

 sweet corn, potatoes and pastures were greatly benefited by the rains, though pota- 

 toes will be a light crop in the southern half of the state. Apples are dropping 

 badly. 



Bulletin No. 21, August 27, 1918 — 



Though temperatures averaged about 6 degrees above normal with maxima above 

 90 on two or three davs, no such extreme, scorching temperatures occurred as during 

 the preceding three weeks. Nearly all portions of the state had showers and some 

 portions heavy local rains. In the north central counties the amounts were between 

 one and two inches, while portions of Mahaska. Marion. Monroe and Wapello counties 

 had from two or over three inches, accompanied by severe electrical storms and 

 considerable damage by lightning. 



Thrashing, which has been delayed by heavy rains in the northern part of the 

 state for more than two weeks, was resumed towards the close of this week 

 Sprouting and molding of shocked grain is reported from many counties. Fall 

 plowing and preparation for seeding an increased acreage of winter wheat has made 

 good progress where moisture was sufficient. 



Pastures, potatoes, gardens and the supply of stock water have improved ™aterial^ 

 ly In the south central counties. The rains have been inadequate in most southwest 

 counties. 



Corn has made excellent progress over the northern and eastern ^o^^nes where 

 ,ome of it Is already safe from injury from frost. Some of the replanted lowlan-^ 



