44 A-GRICU-LTURAL Mam al 



' Mi:i: PRECIPITATION 



The summer rainfall — June, July, and August (Fig. 1G) — is 

 not only greater than that of any other season, but the distribu- 

 tion is decidedly more uniform. The only parts of the state to 

 receive less than- 9 inches during the summer season are Niagara 

 and Orleans counties, and a narrow belt along the St. Lawrence 

 River. Nearly all of the remainder of the state receives more than 

 10 inches, a large part more than 11 inches, and considerable areas, 

 particularly the Eastern and Western plateau divisions and the 

 lower Hudson valley, receive more than 1:2 inches during the three 

 months. 



It is interesting to note that the precipitation for Long Island 

 in summer is less than during either the winter or spring seasons. 



FALL PRECIPITATION 



The fall — September, October, and November (Fig. 17) — is 

 a season of light rainfall, particularly in the Central Lakes division 

 and along the shore of Lake Ontario. Over all of this region the 

 fall precipitation is less than 9 inches, and over much of it the 

 average is less than 8 inches. Over most of the eastern half of 

 the state the fall precipitation is liberal, ranging generally from 

 9 to more than 11 inches, a marked contrast to the conditions that 

 prevail over the western half. 



DROUGHTS IN NEW YORK 



A serious and long-continued deficiency of precipitation affect- 

 ing the state as a whole is of rare occurrence in New York. There 

 have been many short periods when crops suffered from a defi- 

 ciency of moisture, and many occasions when the deficiency was 

 confined to one or more sections, but few state-wide droughts. 



Peihaps the two most serious droughts in more recent years 

 occurred in 1889 and 190S. In the former year the total rainfall 

 for the months of June. July, and August, which normally is 

 about 12 inches, averaged somewhat less than inches for the 

 entire state, except in the extreme southeastern counties and Long 

 Island, where it wa* normal or above. 



