M IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



ANNUAL NORMALS FOR IOWA. 



1890—1910. 



Normal annual temperature, 47.8°. 



Warmest year, 1894, with mean temperatures of 49.7 \ 



Coldest year, 1893, with mean temperatures of 45.7°. 



Normal annual precipitation, 31.58 inches. 



Wettest year, 1902, with total precipitation of 43.82 inches. 



Driest year, 1910, with total precipitation of 19.87 inches. 



Average annual snowfall (unmelted), 30.1 inches. 



Greatest annual snowfall, 49.0 inches in 1909. 



Least annual snowfall, 19.2 inches in 1894. 



Average number of days with 0.01 inch or more of precipitation, 82. 



Prevailing wind, direction, northwest. 



Average number of clear days, 164; partly cloudy, 104; clody, 97. 



CLIMATE AND CROP BULLETINS. 

 Summaries of Weekly Bulletins Issued in the Season of 1910. 



Bulletin No. 1.— Week Ending April 10, 1910. After a winter of ua- 

 usually heavy snowfall and steady cold weather, the crop season of 191© 

 opens under very favorable conditions, and from 4 to 5 weeks earlier than 

 last year. The larger part of the state was covered with ice and snow 

 from December 5, 1909, to the end of February, which afforded good pro- 

 tection to grasses and winter grains and prevented the soil from freezing, 

 except on the surface. Although the snow melted rapidly during the last 

 two or three days of February and the first week of March, most of the 

 water was absorbed by the soil. The last month was the warmest and pro- 

 bably the dryest March in the history of the state. The temperature was 

 continuously and, most of time, abnormally high; and as there was no 

 snow and only a little rain, farm operations began much earlier than 

 usual. The remaining 20 per cent of last year's corn crop was gathered, 

 most of the spring wheat and fully 50 per cent of the oats were sown: 

 plum trees were coming in bloom, many of the forest trees, pastures 

 and meadows were green; much of the corn ground had been plowed; 

 gardens made and some vegetables up by the end of the month. 



Since the first of April the weather has continued favorable for farm 

 work. The seeding of small grain is nearly completed and rapid progress 

 has been made in preparing the ground for corn. During the last week 

 the temperature was above the normal, although light frosts occurred on 

 the 6th and 7th. 



Copious sowers occurred over the southern and eastern counties, but 

 fair weather continued over the northwestern districts, and in the latter 

 sections the surface soil is becoming dry. Spring wheat and oats show 

 a good stand except in western and northwestern counties, where oats 

 sown broadcast and not well covered, are germinating unevenly. Winter 

 grains, pastures and meadows are generally in good condition, but re- 



