Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-12
CLIMATE And CROPS
IOWA HOLDS FOREMOST POSI-.
TIoN AMONG AGRICULTURAL
STATES. a

.SIloW iHdI 0oh FTouuSeS
and Live SStock Industry of This
State is Hish- Report Prepared by
Iowa WeatherNa and Crop Service.
-
The place which Iowa holds among
the different states as to, agricultural
is most enviabls. Notwith-
standing the fact that a great deal OF
high water and floods occurred last
year as we'll as the fore part OF the
present year, the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, weather bureau,
in cooperation with the Iowa Weather
and crop service in their annual report
for the year 1902 regarding the climahe
and crops of this state, make theSfoi-
assertion: Iowa easily holds
the foremost place among agricultural
states This places the state OF Iowa
in a position that will be hard to equal
by her sister states.
A Great Corn Producer.
The report continues: Statistics OF
Iowa's soil products and livestock IN
dustry justify this claim and a care
full study OF climatic records and vast
of soil fertility will reveal
the cause of its priInacy in agricult-
ural. Its location within the greatest
corr producing area in this country or
the world is especially favorable. In
fact. it may be claimed without exag-
geration that Iowa constitutes the
most productive portion OF the far
famed corn belt of America: the sta
tistical records of the past thirteen
years will sustain it. The distinctive
feature of this state is the fact that
| about ninety-ive per cent of its r
may be made to produce something OF
value, and fully ninety percent of it's
surface is exceedingly rich in the ele-
ments Of plant growth.
Climate the Chief Factor.
in crop production he prime fac
tors are fertility of soil and 1t congen-
ial climate; and climate is the chief
factor. There are millions of acres
in this country, now comparatively
worthless though containing abundant
supplies of fertility, the one thing
lacking being a favorable climate.
Nothing can fully compensate for the
lack of ample moisture in the growing
season., as only Il small part of any
arid region may be made productive
by irrigation. And prevalent low tenn
p%erature, or frequent occurrence of
frostS in the crop growing season. Will
render nugatory he most fertile soil
and abundant rainfull. The true tests
of climatic excellence are found in
the tables of mean temperature and
precipitation, and the average number
of days between killing frosts in the
crop season.
Lean and Fat Years.
Iowa, has attained it's present unri-
vailed position as an agricultural state
by its heritage of vast wealth of SOIL
and it's generally favorable climate.
There has been nothing near a total
failure of the staple farm crops in
the worst season experienced since its
lisettlement by civilized people. There
have been lean and fat years, but the
products of the leanest season would
t be fairness to the people of less IA
vored regions. This is the result of
the fine texture and great depth of
soil. Whereby it is able to endure the
1 greatest extremes i'll form of wet or
o dry seasons.
General Climatic Features.
"Situated near the geographical CEN
!, ter of the United States. too far in
land to receive the equalizinz thermal
effects of winds blowing directly from,
the oceans, the climate of low Is
strictly continental in type. This i'm
= plies a very wide range in tempera-
= ture, winters of considerable severity
summers of almost tropical heat, anc
a large percentage of sunshine as com
3 pared with insular regions. AS there
are no ountai ranges, nor consider
able differences in the altitude of tn,
several sections. the climate of thu
state is quite homogeneous, with onl,
such variations of temperature ant
rainfall as result from latitude and 10
cation with reference to the pathwa.
of the cyclones which traverse tn
continent. Despite its remotenes
from the oceans. the seasonal con
stants of temperature, humidity an
precipitation afford a guaranty G
y ample production in the futur
as in the past. In fact. is ]
the best watered and most produc
- tive "mid-continent region known o.
earth, It's worst droughts and sea
sons of floods have never been famin
breeders.
r The Climate Differs.
"Clintate is the product of certal
elements and properties of the atmos
phere. and physical features of tn
earth's surface. The suns energy. pro
duces in the air and earth the three
fold forms of force termed light, hes
and electricity, and causes the yarie
yc phenomena of evaporation and prectl
. ~itation. The climate of this sectio
differs from that of other midland
giOnS because OF maIeflal QlleIeAC'
in the topographic features of u
western continent. h great moul
of tain ranges that gridiron the westel
:. third of the continent, stretching fro
the Arcticesea to the sthmus n el
iys closing numerous valleys of the sem
arid or desert type, effectually cuttil
off the rain-bearing winds that bic
inland from the Pacific ocean; as
result the eastern slope OF he Rocki
receives a scant and irregular supp
a of rainfall, and the Mississippi vail
practically receives no moisture fro
that source. The western and mort
lne western winds in this section are &C
a." and dry, while the %southerly al
easterly winds are warm and moi
affording generally an ample SUPP
of waterfall. If the great mounta
ust ranges had been stretched diagona
across mis- continent. cutting off IL
or region from the rain-bearing wi
II l. currents from the gulf, this sect
would be in reality the great Anne
can desert, instead of the richest d
.Nmain Of Ceres.
art anpaars then that the assent