IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
51 
Mr. W. A. Orton speaking of the epidemic of wheat rust for the year 1904 
says : 
“Wheat rust (Puccinia graminis) this year, 1904, caused very general damage 
over the whole country, due to the humidity of the atmosphere in the latter 
part of the growing season, and to lateness of the grain in maturing. In the 
spring-wheat states of the Northwest the loss from rust was 25,000,000 to 
40,000,000 bushels, worth at least $25,000,000. In many instances the rusted 
fields were never touched hy the harvester, and over wide areas the yield was 
■only four to five bushels per acre. The western winter-wheat states also 
suffered severely, and rust was bad as far east as Indiana and Ohio, though 
not severe in Maryland. The durum varieties introduced hy the department 
proved notably resistant, though the season brought out great variations in 
rust resistance even in this group. M. A. Carleton^*®, of this Department, has 
published further results of investigations into the life history of this and 
..several other species of rust.” 
The weather conditions for 1904 are included in tables and maps accom- 
panying this paper. 
Mr. James Berry reports that the season of 1904 in the Upper Mississippi 
Valley to the Atlantic Coast was generally backward, although the average 
temperature for the month was generally in excess of the normal. Spring 
wheat seeding was well advanced over the southern part of the region, by the 
7th and 8th of April. Severe rains and snow occurring. The next week, 
April 18th, was unseasonably cold and germination was retarded. There was 
considerable snow in the upper lake region during the latter part of the week 
and considerable frost occurred. Spring wheat seeding was nearly finished in 
Iowa, Nebraska, southern South Dakota. Little had been done in North Dakota 
and Minnesota. The week ending April 25th there was freezing temperature 
throughout the Central Valleys, lake region, New England, and the Middle 
States. The week ending May 2nd was cool and unfavorable for growth. The 
week ending May 9th was more favorable. The spring wheat early sown was 
making good growth. The week ending May 16th as much too cool, with 
Irosts. The week ending May 23d was more favorable except for frosts on 
the 16th and 17th in the lake region and upper Mississippi Valley. The fol- 
lowing week. May 30th, there was excessive moisture from Iowa to Missouri 
and Oklahoma. The crop of small grain was promising. The week ending 
June 6th there was excessive moisture and lack of sunshine. The week ending 
June 13th had unfavorable temperature with too much rain. The outlook for 
oats was promising. The week ending June 20th continued cool, east of the 
Mississippi was unfavorable but westward more favorable. The upper Missis- 
sippi Valley states suffered from extreme moisture. Rust reported from Ne- 
braska and Iowa. The week ending July 4th was unseasonably cool and un- 
favorable for rapid growth. On July .11th the weather continued unseasonably 
cool. Rust reported from Minnesota and Dakota. The week ending July 18th 
was favorable except in some districts where there was too much rain. The 
week ending July 25th, too cool with lack of sunshine. The week ending 
August 1st reports of rust from the spring-wheat section of the country very 
pronounced. A similar summary for 1900 will show that changeable weather 
with a great deal of rain and late frost greatly influenced the appearance of 
rust. 
®®U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook. 1904 :5 63. 
