This summer’s
deadly combination of
persistent drought and
extreme heat has many
people comparing it to
the droughts of 1988,
1983, and the worst
drought of all during
the summer 1936.
While the 2012 corn and soybean
harvest in the Westview community
is several weeks away, indications are
that it may not be as bad as 1988 and
1936. Nevertheless there are some
areas that are experiencing historic
levels of drought.
Moisture and temperature are
critical factors in crop production.
Every local farmer has his eyes on the
sky and/or the radar praying for rain.
According to agronomists, corn needs
between 1.5 and 2 inches of moisture
per week during the periods of pollination and when the ear is filling out.
Advances in irrigation technology and
the development of more drought tolerant hybrids give modern farmers an
advantage over their counterparts in
the 1930s. Excessive heat can also be a
negative factor. According to local Pioneer representative Mike Cunningham,
when the thermometer goes above 95
degrees the corn pollen dies. Researchers are developing hybrids that flower
(tassel) early in an attempt to escape
the hottest days of the summer. Unfortunately research has not come up
with a way to control the heat index.
During the summer of 1988 there
were many local churches that included
prayers for rain in their Sunday morning services. One local pastor took
a lot of good natured kidding in the
coffee shop over the fact that he wasn’t
doing his job since there had been no
rain that week. Cleo Hartzler, a retired
Topeka farmer, remembers the crop
damage related to the drought of 1988.
Hartzler says, “We didn’t get rain in
time to save the corn, but it did rain
later in the summer and the soybeans
were pretty good.”
The drought of all droughts came
during the period known as “the Dust
Bowl.” Some people refer to that
decade as the “Dirty Thirties.” With
the combination of severe drought,
extreme heat, and high winds, millions
of acres of precious topsoil were simply
blown away all across the Midwest and
Great Plains. Of all the years 1936 was
the worst. One newspaper in western
New York described it as “The Heat
Wave from Hell.” America was caught
in the grips of The Great Depression.
The severe drought and excessive heat
couldn’t have come at a worse time.
The heat wave began at the end
of June. Temperatures across North
America soared into the triple digits,
and the skies dried up, baking the
ground below it. Temperatures were
oppressive. According to National
Weather Service records June’s high
was 111 degrees, July’s was 116, and
the thermometer topped 111 again in
August. During those days there was
no such thing as central air conditioncontinued on page 25
Photos by Justin Geigley
The Hometown Treasure · October ‘12 · pg 23