The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-11-22
Vol.
CROP
OF THE
Missouri State Board Of Agriculture
FOR NOVEMBER, 1890.
OFFICE OF SECRETARY,
COLUMBIA, Mo-, Nov. Is, 1890.

OFFICE OF SECRETARY,
COLUMBIA, Mo, Nov. Is, 1890
This, being the last monthly crop report of the season, we will
briefly summarize the meteorological conditions that have pre-
vailed and the effect produced on the growing crops.
The month was unusually warm and moist.
The mean daily temperature ranged from three degrees above the
normal in the northern part of the State to twelve degrees above
in the southern portion. The precipitation ranged from one half
inch above the normal in the northwest section to six inches above
in the southeast section.
BRUAR The month was dry and warm. The mean
daily temperature was about four degrees above the normal over
the entire State. The precipitation was below the normal the
deficiency ranging from one and one-half inches in the northern
portion to one-half inch in the southern portion.
MARCH. The coolest weather of the winter occurred
during the first week of this month. The mean daily temperature
was about four degrees below the normal. The precipitation was
normal except in the southeast sections where it was three and one
half inches above the normal.
BY the foregoing it will be seen that but little snow fell
during the winter and the weather was unusually warm until
March. The wheat, having been thus exposed during the
winter and subjected to severe freezing and thawing in March, was
seriously injured, much of it never recovering. Fruits were
also injured.
APRIL. The month was warm and dry excepting in the
southeast section. The temperature was three degrees above the
normal. The rainfall was about one inch below excepting in
the Southeast where it was two and one-half inches above the
normal. The weather being, on the whole, favorable, wheat
improved in condition. The excess of rainfall in the Southeast
was retardlng the sowing of oats and planting of cotton.
Frosts occurred which did further damage to fruit.
MAY. The temperature was two degrees below and the
precipitation was below the normal excepting in the Southwest
where it was slightly above. Frosts occurred causing injury to
State the lack of rainfall was beginning to be felt by the growing
crops, particularly the wheat. The continued rains in South
east Missouri caused a decrease in the acreage OF oats, which,
with the ravages OF the grain aphs that made It's appearance
during the latter part of this month in the southeast corner, and
spread north and west ever nearly twothirds of the State, resulted
in one of the poorest oat crops ever raised in Missouri. Corn
at this time was not promising. Rains in the southeast were
delaying planting of this and cotton, and dry weather in the
northern part of the State was causing the seed corn to terminate
and start poorly. More favorable conditions were prevailing in
the Southwest, and in that section an unusually large acreage o.
fax was being sown.
JUNE. The month was unusually warm and dry. The
mean daily temperature was three and one-half degrees above and
the rainfall about two inches below the normal.
The effect of the warm, dry weather during the latter part Of
the month was to hasten the ripening of the wheat, and much
of the crop was in the shock before the end of the month. 1t
was found to be thin on the ground and badly mixed with chess.
The heads were, however, well filled with grain of an excellent
quality, and being secured without damage by rain the crop has
proven, on the whole, to be fairly remunerative one.
Corn, while small for the season, was of a good color, but
was needing rain.
Fruits were now showing the effects of the late spring
freezes. . l.
JULY. Temperature was one and one-half degrees above and
the rainfall one and one-half inches below the normal. The
weather was favorable for harvesting the hay and oat crops, but
the lack of rain was being seriously felt by pastures, corn and
other growing crops. The dry weather resulted in a reduced
acreage of ~buckwheat and tobacco.
AUGUST. Temperature was two and one-half degrees below
eO AOluh II GC ObaIC ohu UC Ioiuldh W"5 III d"u Ouo-Hhl
inches below in the northeast to four inches above the normal in
Southwest Missouri. The continued lack of rain in Northeast
Missouri was having a discouraging effect on crops, particularly
r. corn, which showed a condition in that section of only sixty-nine
per cent. There had been an improvement, however, in the crop
in the leading corn-grow1ng sections, and the condition for the
State was seventy-four per cent.
Potatoes were by this time showing the full effect of the
drouth, the early crop being very light. Late spring freezes,
drouth and codlng moths had resulted in a light crop of apples.
SEPTEMBER continued dry in the Northeast and wet IN
the Southwest. Frost on the thirteenth cut the corn fodder and
fastened ripening, and injured the buckwheat and tobacco.
The weather was, on the whole, quite favorable for fall seeding,
excepting in the Southwest where it was too wet. Corn was
being damaged in that section by the excess of rain. A largely
increased acreage of wheat was being sown.
CTOB was a month of favorable weather for farm
work. rN
The crop season thus brought to q close has been Oh the whole
one of unfavorabe conditions, and yields per acre have been less
than an average in almost every instance, while some crops have
been about as poor as have ever been harvested in the state. But
Notwithstanding the shOrness of crops there is not one among
the leading staples but is worth more dollars in total than
the same crop was worth last year, rs will be seen by reference to
the table given herewith. The seven crops named have been worth
over $l70O0,000 more on the market to the farmers of the state
than these same crops were worth last year, and the labor and
expense of securing them much less. 81
ANIMAL ISEAS The communication from DIR.
Paquin, State Veterinarian, which follows. shows that live stock
has been more than usually free from contagious diseases. The
third article of the series on Common Diseases, prepared by the
Doctor for these reports, is submitted herewith.