RAINS HELP U.S. WESTERN CORN BELT, MORE SEEN
  Weekend rain over the Western Corn Belt
  brought further relief to crop areas that had been dry earlier
  this month, and developing weather patterns will bring welcome
  moisture to central and eastern belt locations this week,
  according to Dale Mohler, senior meteorologist for Accu-Weather
  Inc.
      "There is going to be more rain for the next two, three
  days," he said. "We're in a fairly wet pattern with normal to
  above normal moisture this week."
      Mohler said rainfall averaged 1/2 inch across southern
  Minnesota, 3/4 inch over southwest Iowa, one inch in eastern
  Nebraska and 1-1/2 inches in south-central Nebraska.
      Illinois fields saw virtually no rain over the weekend but
  were receiving scattered thundershower activity today, he said.
      Rain patterns will move across Indiana to Ohio with
  thudershower activity yielding to more general rains, he said.
      "Tomorrow, that eastern area will get 1/4 to one inch, a
  pretty good rain," Mohler said.
      Rain was heavier than expected over the weekend, sparking
  an early selloff in soybean futures at the Chicago Board of
  Trade. Prices were off 14 to 20-1/2 cents with November off
  19-1/2 cents at 5.43-1/2 dlrs.
      Mohler said the cold front now over the eastern belt is
  expected to move over the central Midwest, then move north
  later in the week. That could bring new rain patterns across
  the Corn Belt and assure good crop conditions as
  early-developed corn moves into the crucial pollination stage
  in early July, he said.
  

