St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-16
HAVE THE CROPS IN ENORTH-
WEST BEEN DAMAGED, SAYS
OBSERVER LYONS.
NOR FROM LACK OF RAIN.
GENERAL CONDITIONS THE BEST
THE STATE HAS KNOWN
FOR YEARS
FOR A GIGANTIC YIELD.
The Observer SkepticaI Regard
ing the Numerous Reports
of Crop Injury.

Local Forecast officer Lyons, of
the United States weather bureau,
has this to say about the reported
damage to crops in the Dakotas
and Minnesota in consequence Of the
hot weather:
whether groundless or otherwise, GER
ta1nly the saying has its supporters,
that the prospective crop of both the
Dakotas and Minnesota is not what it
promised to be previous to the warm
days-July and 8. To show to what
extent small grain has been injured by
that short warm spell the writer will
not here attempt. Experts who have
been over the fields and made actual
observations are the ones to Judge
properly, and it seems that several
such have found cause for complaint
as to the condition of crops, attribut-
ing considerable damage to excessive
heat If the damage reported from
some sections is real, 1 think it must
be due to something else. There hasn't
been drouth, as was the case last year,
nor have there been any attacks re-
ported from insects, rust, smut, etc.
The only real enemy has been the
heat. But if the heat of the days
mentioned or any other day or days of
this year is the sole ground for COM
plaint and cause of injury, then the
Northwest may as well give up the
thought of ever getting bumper
crop of small grain again. Last year
was not only noted for it's unprece-
dented drouth, but also for intense and
almost constant heat, and yet there
was a fair average crop of small grain
raised; in fact, a more than average
crop of wheat, over Minnesota and
North Dakota. A comparison of the
maximum temperatures for both Da-
kotaS and Minnesota for June and
July may be of interest. They are as
follows:
In June, 1894, the maximum or high
est temperature for Minnesota and
North and South Dakotas ranged from
IS to 100, SO to 102 and SO to 107 deg, re-
spectively. The maximum tempera-
ture for July last year for Minnesota,
81 to 10S; North Dakota, SO to 107, and
South Dakota, 80 to 113 deg, while in
1895 the maximum or highest tempera-
ture reported in those states for June
did not exceed IS deg. The highest re-
ported this month was SO. The record
for the two warm days that are said to
have done the damage is: July 4, high
est temperature, SO deg at both Huron
and Pierre; Williston,96 deg; Bismarck,
92 deg; Moorhead, 80 deg; st. Paul, Sc
deg; st. Vincent, 81 deg. July 5, HUI
ron, 9S deg; st. Paul and Bismarck
each 81 deg; Williston, 92 deg; Moor
head, 80 deg, and st. Vincent, S5 deg.
There you have a record Of all the
real hot weather experienced over the
Northwest so far this summer. If it
has caused injury to the crops, then
how was it that under far more try
ing and really fierce conditions they
survived last year? I don't think that
the crops have been injured seriously
by the heat this year, simply because
it hasn't been hot enough. If the in
jury is real and as widespread as
some would have have 1t, some cause
other than heat must be looked for,
and if that cause is not real, the crop,
L am satisfied, will be very generally
abundant and in most cases equal to
the best had for many years.
P. F. LYONS, Forecast Official
United States Weather Bureau.