4 BULLETIN 1271, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Table 1. — Climatic conditions — Windom, 1913-1922 1 
Maximum temperature— °F__ 
Minimum °F.. 
Mean, annual °F 
Mean, Apr. 1 to Sept. 30 °F_. 
Precipitation: 
Apr. 1 to Sept. 30 inches.. 
Oct. 1 to Mar. 31 do 
Total annual do 
Last killing frost in spring 
First killing frost in fall 
Frost-free days 
94 
95 
-16 
-16 
46.0 
48.4 
62 
66 
23.14 
21.46 
8.63 
4.17 
31.77 
25.63 
May 2 
May 15 
Sept. 30 
Oct. 7 
150 
144 
100 
-20 
47.1 
65 
12.42 
8.25 
20.67 
Apr. 26 
Oct. 12 
1C8 
62 
21.77 
6.95 
28.72 
May 11 
Sept. 30 
141 
* U. S. Weather Bureau, Climatological Data, Minnesota Section. Data for the years 1914 to 1918 are 
from records kept at "Windom. For the remaining years data recorded at Worthington, 30 miles southwest 
of Windom, are shown. 
The monthly distribution of rainfall for each of the three years and 
for the 10-year period is shown in Figure 2. Seventy-five per cent of 
the total precipitation normally falls within the growing season and 
nearly 50 per cent during May, June, and July. 
Monthly Precipitation at Windom, 1920-1922, and the 10- Year Average 
INCHES 
1920 
jlAI I i Hi i I 
1921 
.jtilhA 
! 
J. A. 5. O. N. 
1922 
10 YEAR AV. 
1913-22 INCL. 
■ ■ _ 
^^ ill 1 
1 11 
ipilEIIiJL 
h i S 1 1 1 1 1 1 B a , 
J. F. M. A. M. J. J. A. S. O. N. D. J. F. M. A. M. J. J. A. S. 0. N. 0. 
1 i'.. 2.— Three-fourths of the annual rainfall usually comes during the growing season 
PURPOSE OF HISTORICAL STUDY 
To understand properly the problems of farm organizations found 
in the area at present, it is necessary to know T something of the 
development of the area and the factors which made this develop- 
mciif what i( has been. 
With the development of a new area, changes in the acreage of 
crops and in the number and kinds of livestock are largely the results 
of expansion and of efforts to discover those lines of production best 
adapted to the soil, climate, and oilier conditions. Once the physical 
possibilities of crop and livestock production become known," sub- 
sequent changes in the relative importance of different lines of pro- 
