The Fourth Annual Summary of the More Important Insects of Kansas Covering the Year 1934

Abstract

While January had a cold wave on the 30th and 31st, it had in general mild temperatures, much sunshine, but little moisture. February had a cold wave on the 26th and 27th, but with the most generous snowfall for this month in 6 years. The first three weeks were exceptionally mild, but there was a severe cold spell the last of the month, closing the mildest winter on record. March was abnormally dry and windy. There were many dust storms. Subsoil moisture was markedly deficient. Temperatures were a little above normal, but the last week was almost as cold as the first. Less moisture fell in April than fell in this month in 24 years, and there were frequent and widespread dust storms. The month was followed by the warmest May on record. Moisture was deficient in spite of some timely rains in all but southeastern Kansas. The record-breaking high temperatures of the summer began the last few days of May and continued until the second week of August. The period may be described as the hottest and driest period ever recorded in the state, and within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. At Manhattan, 15 days of June, 27 days of July and 19 days of August had maximum temperatures of 100? F., or higher; of these, 23 days had a maximum of 110? F., or higher. The total rainfall for June, July and August was 3.54 inches. Emporia and Manhattan repeatedly had the maximum temperatures in the state during the summer. September and October were pleasant months, with good rainfall. Much wheat was planted in August and early September. Fall gardens flourished in eastern Kansas. The first killing frost occurred 2 weeks later than normal-October 28. November was unusually mild and sunshiny, with abundant precipitation in the eastern third of the state. December had seasonable weather, with little precipitation, some dust storms and cloudy weather in the eastern half of the state. There were two cold waves, on the 6th and 7th and 25th and 26th. Crops were poor generally, or complete failures, except the wheat crop in south-central and southern Kansas where the yields were good. Good forage yields occurred only in southeast Kansas; elsewhere alfalfa cuttings were exceedingly short. Many acres of Russian thistle were cut in the western half