THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART III. 169 



securing hay and grain. Potatoes, pastures and garden vegetables made 

 great advancement. The wet weather was very favorable for new seed 

 ing of grasses. 



In respect to temperature, July was about normal, the average for 

 the state being seventy-three degrees; but the month broke all records as 

 to amount and distribution of rainfall, frequency of showers, severe wind 

 squalls and extent of overflow of the principal rivers of the state. The 

 average precipitation was 8.67 inches, or about 5 inches above normal, 

 and the reports of all stations of record showed an excess. As in the 

 preceding month of June, the records showed a measurable amount of 

 rainfall every day during the month, at one or more stations. These 

 adverse conditions greatly retarded the cultivation of late corn, and har- 

 vesting the matured crops of hay and small grain. The saturated grain 

 fields were rendered too soft for operation of harvesting machinery. The 

 heavy storms of rain and wind caused lodgment of oats, wheat, barley 

 and grass to a much greater extent than was ever known in previous 

 years, and this added greatly to the labor and difficulty in securing the 

 heavy burdens of grain and hay. There was, therefore, a much larger 

 percentage of loss of acreage and damage to quality of these crops than 

 was ever known in this state* in recent years. But despite these unusual 

 drawbacks, by strenuous labor between showers, the farmers secured a 

 considerable amount of hay in fair condition, and the small grain crops 

 were put in shock or stack. Corn in upland fields that had been well 

 tilled was in fair condition, being bulky and heavily eared. Potatoes 

 exceeded all recent records. All kinds of garden truck made heavy 

 growth. Apples suffered materially from windstorms. 



The abnormal features prevalent in June and July continued 

 throughout the larger part of August, the cool, cloudy and showery 

 weather making altogether the wettest and most unfavorable season for 

 cultivating crops and harvesting hay and grain that has been experienced 

 in Iowa during the past thirty-three years. The daily mean temperature for 

 August was two degrees below normal, and the average rainfall, 5.58 



inches, 3.51 inches above the normal amount. Cool nights, cloudy 



days, frequent showers, excessive humidity of the air and saturated soil, 

 retarded the ripening of corn and rendered it well nigh impossible to 

 carry on the usual harvest operations. At the close of the month corn 

 was about two weeks later than usual, with rank growth of stalks and 

 very heavily eared. The late planted portion of the crop was green as 

 in June, and its immature condition indicated the need of a full month 

 of warm and dry weather to bring it to the stage to withstand killing 

 frosts. The oats crop suffered greatest damage in shock and stack, and 

 a very large percentage has been ruined. Spring wheat was injured, but 

 the total loss was not so great. Barley was discolored and much of it 

 rendered unmarketable. The hay crop was badly damaged, but there was 

 partial compensation in the growth of very heavy aftermath. Potatoes 

 suffered materially by rot and blight of tops. 



The month of September was also cold, cloudy and wet. The daily 

 average temperature being five degrees below normal and the rainfall, 

 12 



