NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I 23 
which retarded planting and prevented the cultivation of early planted 
fields, and as a result all corn was green and but little of it had begun 
to show any signs of maturity by September 1st. After September 
1st corn was rapidly pushed toward maturity and by the 15th of the 
month a large percentage of the early planted fields were safe from 
the effect of frost, and the late planted fields were making rapid 
progress. By the 25th fully 90 per cent of the crop was far enough 
advanced to escape any material injury from the frost which occurred 
on the 28th and 29th, and the remainder of the crop was in most cases 
well dented so that it will have considerable value for feed. 
Agricultural interests in this state are more frequently and more 
extensively injured by excessive moisture than by drouthy conditions. 
The last serious drouth prior to 1908 was in the summer of 1901, and 
then the damage to crops was largely due to continuous and excessively 
high temperatures and hot winds coming as they did during the period 
of pollination and earing of corn. From April 1st to August 31st of 
that year, the monthly deficiency of rainfall for the state was as 
follows, viz: April, 1.04 inches; May, 2.15; June, .81; July, 2.10, and 
August, 2.70 inches, making a total deficiency for the five months of 
8.80 inches. The monthly mean and daily maximum temperatures of 
July w^ere higher than ever before known, the monthly mean for the 
state being 82.4°, or 8.7° above the normal, and the daily maximum 
temperatures from the 1st to the 26th, inclusive, were very near or 
above 100°, the absolute maximum being 113° at Sigourney. The dry, 
hot weather was very damaging to pastures and garden truck and 
materially reduced the yield of corn for the year. The following is 
quoted from the Monthly Report of the Iowa Section for September, 
:!897, and shows the effects of the drouth and hot winds during that 
month: "This month brought a marked change and the summary 
ending of a peculiar and fitful crop season. The first half broke all 
former records of September whether for the corresponding period, by 
abnormally high temperatures, intense insolation, hot southerly winds 
and severe drouthy conditions. At the central station the sum of the 
excess in temperature was 228° for the first 15 days, making a daily 
average of over 15° above the normal. During 12 days the maximum 
temperatures ranged from 90 to 98°. This extreme heat and general 
aridity produced a notable effect upon immature crops, and all forms 
of vegetable life. Most of the early planted corn, which with normal 
temperature and moisture would have required two to four weeks to 
ripen in the best condition, was swiftly hurried to maturity, with more 
or less detriment to its quality. The transformation from milk and 
dough to the dented stage was too sudden to secure normal development 
of the grain. All corn planted betimes on deep, rich soil, well culti- 
vated and possessing a good storage of moisture, came through with 
a fair average yield, and is but little impaired in quality. But the crop 
on exposed uplands, and on thin soils, generally suffered extensive 
damage by "firing" and premature drying up. 
"Frosts were noted in the northern districts on September 17th and 
18th, and on the morning of the 20th a killing frost was reported in 
all districts. The bulk of the corn crop, however, was beyond the 
