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a 
364 T. 8S. Parvin on the Climate of Iowa. 
ant.” In 1854 occurred the “great drought” in this and the 
Western States generally, but owing to the porous nature of our 
soil, the crops with us turned out much better than in States east 
of the Mississippi. 
-Snow.—The total quantity of snow for the year (56) is 46 
inches, or 23°86 more than the mean. The smallest amount was 
in 1852, only 7°30 inches, while for the past two years the 
amount has greatly increased, and it is owing to the item of 
melted snow (ten inches of snow when melted making one inch 
‘of water) of the past and previous year that the amount of rain 
has been as large as it is, for the summer was very dry. 
INTER. Zemperature.—The mean temperature of the winter 
is 7-24° below the average, the former being 14°98°, that of the 
latter. 22-22°. The warmest winter was that of 1853, 2419°. 
The coldest of twenty was that of 1855-56, when for days to- 
. the thermometer ranged below zero, sinking as low as—29°. 
. Each of the winter months are below the mean. ‘The prevailing 
winds are west and northwest. 
- Rain. —The quantity of rain including melted snow, is for '56 
greater than the mean, but without it, less. In the winter of 64 
there was no rain in December or January, in that of '55 none 
in February; and none in January of the past winter ('56). 
soe of rain and melted snow is 6°36 inches; the mean is 4°96 
inches. 
Snow.—The average depth of snow is 16:36 inches, while m 
the winter of 1855-56 we had 37-20 inches, exceeding the mean 
by 20°84 inches. In 1851-52 there were but 4°70 inches, which 
had steadily increased in the succeeding four years. ; 
SPRING. Zemperature——The mean temperature is 45°51°, being 
only 81° below the mean, which is 46°40°. The coldest spring 
was in 1850, the mean being 42:56°; the warmest was 1854, 
50°00°. The temperature of the spring months of the past year 
was unequally distributed, Mand belts much below the mean, 
while April and May were above. ; 
fain.—Kach of the months was below the mean in quantity 
of rain, the total being 8-08 inches, and the mean 12°65 inches. 
Snow.—There has been snow in March of each year, except 
that of 1852, and in 1850 and ’51 there was snow in Apr 
The total for March ’56 was 8°60 inches, and the mean 2‘04 
_ The prevailing winds of the spring months are for March west 
and nothwest;, April south and mnatinan’ and May east and 
southeast. : off 
SumMER. Temperature-—There was less than a differ- 
ence between the temperature of this summer and the mean of 
he last seven years, the former being 70-23°, and the latter 
1044°. July is the warmest month. ‘The summer temperature 
