32 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the growth of the plants. The late varieties of fruit seem to have es- 

 caped serious damage from the recent freezing temperature and garden 

 truck is recovering under the effect of warm weather. Practically all of 

 the corn ground is ready for the planter, and planting will become gen 

 eral during the coming week. The season is still far in advance of the 

 average and the general crop outlook is very promising. 



Bulletin No. 5. — May S. The past week was unseasonably cool, with 

 less than the usual amount of sunshine. The daily average temperature 

 was about 8 degrees below the normal; light frosts were reported in the 

 southern, and freezing temperature in the northern districts on the 3d 

 and 4th, doing further damage to the fruit crops. The rainfall was ex- 

 cessive in the exereme southeast, heavy in the south and southwest; 

 moderate in the northwest and central; and light in the north and north- 

 eastern counties. The rains were very beneficial and oats and other 

 imall grain generally show an improvement; but there are numerous 

 reports that some of the late sown oats have not yet germinated in the 

 northwest and northern counties on account of the surface soil having 

 been too dry and the grain not properly covered. Considerable corn was 

 planted during the week, but the work was interrupted by rain in the 

 southern and is held back in northern districts owing to the cold weather; 

 farmers being afraid to risk planting under unfavorable conditions. Grass 

 in pastures and meadows has made slow growth, but shows some im- 

 provement in condition in western and southern counties where the rain- 

 fall was the heaviest. For the state at large the conditions are promising 

 and the week closes with indications of warmer and more favorable 

 weather. 



Bulletin No. 6. — May 15. The past week was unseasonably cool, and 

 except in the extreme southeastern county it was abnormally dry prior 

 to the 15th. Frost occurred generally on the 12th, 13th and 14th with 

 freezing temperature on the last date in northern districts. There was, 

 however, more than the average amount of sunshine and rapid progress 

 was made in corn planting. Fully 70 per cent of the corn has been planted 

 with the ground generally in excellent physical condition, but owing to 

 the cold weather the seed is germinating very slowly, and considerable 

 replanting will be done especially in southern districts where the ground 

 is damp from the heavy rains of the previous week. Small grain and 

 grass, while making slow growth, are doing as well as could be expected 

 under the unfavorable conditions and some improvement is reported. 

 Early potatoes which were frozen in April are coming up again and are 

 looking well. The prospects for fruit are very poor. The week closes 

 with rain falling in all parts of the state. 



Bulletin No. 7. — May 22. Continued cool weather has prevailed during 

 the last seven days, but the rainfall, for the state as a whole, has been 

 much heavier than during any previous week of the season. The temper- 

 ature was from one to five degrees below the normal and light frost was 

 reported from several localities on the 18th. Copious rains fell in the 

 centra] and northeastern districts where amounts from one to over three 



