Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-09
In His Annual Report, Director
Sage Will Include Valuable
Information
CONDITION OF FRUIT TREES
Nearly All Fruits Seem To Be Un-
injured, With The Exception Of Cher
ries, Which May Have Been Badly
Damased-charter City Bother
Comes Up In Dubuque.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, March 9.-The annual
report of the state weather and crop
bureau has not yet been printed. There
has been some eXcusable delay. The
report is complete SO far as it relates
to the records of the year 1902 but
Director Sage is engaged in preparing
an appendix to the report which Will
be larger and more important than the
report itself. This appendix will con-
tain summary of the records in re-
gard to the meteorolgy OF Iowa from
the earliest of these records to date.
The Iowa weather and crop bureau was
established thirteen years ago. In the
first report made by Mr.. Sage he in
cluded a record of the observations
which had been previously taken In
Iowa at various times and by different
people, so far as he was able to get
these records. There had been OBJ
servers at work many years but their
records were in many cases fragmen-
tary. Since then Mr.. Sage has made
diligent inquiry for other records. A
number of persons had been making
observations in Iowa using instruments
furnished by the Smithsonian institu-
tion, and making reports to the Smith
sonian. These are entirely reliable and
Mr. Sage has succeeded in getting these
records from Washington. He has also
uncovered many other records. In ad-
dition there are the records of thirteen
years since the bureau was established.
He has been at work long time on
these various records and will present
In the next report tables showing what
these records are arranged in man
ner that will make 1t possible for any
one to understand their significance.
This will be accompanied with explain
at sJs matter. and there Will be an.
introduction by Professor Samuel Cal
vim, state geologist, on the physical
features of Iowa as they affect climate.
The primary purpose In printing this
complete record to date is to supply
what appears to be rapidly growing
demand for just this information from
educators and others of Iowa who are
becoming interested In the study OF
meteorolgy Mr.. Sage has received a
great many Inquiries for this informa-
ton and his correspondence has grown
largely because of a general desire
to secure reliable data as to the cli-
matology of the state. With the COM
plete story printed in an annual re-
port he will then be able to provide
all who ask with the full informa-
ton.
There is much inquiry as to the con-
dition of the fruit trees of Iowa at this
time All the orchardists in this part
of the state say that the winter was a
comparatively easy one on the best
fruits and that there is nothing to indi-
cate that the apple crop has suffered
during the past winter. 1t is different,
however. with the smaller fruit Sec
retary Greene, of the state horticulture
al society, has not made any extensive
investigation as yet, but says it would
not surprise him if it should turn out
that the cherries have been badly dam
aged during the winter, as conditions
seemed to be right for that result. DR..
Bailey, of Mt Ayr who is in charge
of the horticultural department for the
exposition commission, has made in
quiry, and he finds that in the peach
belt Of Iowa the orchardistS claim that
the peach buds are all right. They
claim that it takes 20 degrees below
to kill peach buds, unless there are
atmospheric conditions which make
killing possible with less cold. In Mis-
souri, it is claimed that nearly all the
peach buds have been killed. Other
fruit such as raspberries and straw
berries are reported generally in good
condition in central and southern
Iowa.
There is rivalry among the horticul-
turists as to who should have charge
OF the work of caring for the Iowa ex-
hibit at st. Louis. At Chicago the
work was taken in charge by Capt.
Watrous, of this city, but there was
some trouble among the fruit men and
a change was made after the work
had been started. He was recommended
by the state horticultural society. This
time the horticultural society has rec
commended Silas Wilson, of Atlantic,
an old nurseryman but who has re-
Gently sold out his entire holdings and
is not now engaged in the tree business.
The man selected for the place will be
either Wilson or Norris Wragg of Dali
las county, the president of the state
horticultural society, member of the
state agricultural board and for many
years in charge of the horticultural
exhibits at the state fairs.
Another phase of the charter city
bother in the Incorporation of cities OF
Iowa has come up in Dubuque, where
a question has been raised as to the
right of the state executive council TO
assess railroad property in the city, and
certify it up to the tax gatherers the
the same in that city as elsewhere In
the state City taxes In the charter
cities are paid on a full value assess
ment. BY having the railroads assessed
by the state executive council and cer-
titled to the local authorities, the rail-
road assessment. for city purposes, is
comparatively light. 1t is understood
that a suit is to be made and brought
to the supreme court to test the legal
ity of the state assessment of railroad
property as it relates to charter cities.