Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-12-05
Weather Reports for Farmers.
In his animal report the Chief Signal officer

In his animal report the Chief Signal Officer
says:
The office has. under the direction of the secre-
tary OF war, continued its exertiOns to solve, for
the special benefit of the agricultural interests the
problem OF giving promptly the information con-
tanned IN the daily weather reports to the many
farming and other communities not now reached
by telegraph and for which the copies published
by the press do not arrive in time for use. The
plan adopted has been TO divide the territory of the
United States into districts, each district having
distributing point at or the centre from which
two printed copies of the synopsis and probabili-
ties are forwarded by mail to all post-oces within
the districts, and which can be reached by rail,
steamer, or mail-coach by p. M of the same
day. This plan has been put in operation with
the cooperation of the Post-Ofice Depart
ment the bulletins being exhibited in
frames by each Postmaster, at each postofice as
soon as received, and provides for the regular
distribution daily Of 1852 printed copies Of the
weather report for display at 4491 different post
offices. 1t will be extended as rapidly as expedien
The work has given satisfaction to the farming and
interior population reached Numerous commun-
cations received at the office evidence the fact that
IN many localities farming and other agricultural
operations are conducted with reference to the at
mospheric conditions announced in these reports
as probable to occur. The immense agricultural
interests OF the United States, and the great re-
suits to be attained if they can be thus benefited
nave rendered this success peculiarly gratifying.
The whole number of these special bulletins far
printed and distributed is S95,U14
There are nineteen special river stations from
which reports of the depth of water in the principal
rivers OF the United States are daily made by tele-
graph at particular seasons during which dangers
from freshets may be anticipated River reports
are also had from twenty of the regular stations
These data are widely published and distributed
along the lines of the rivers The reports thus
had enabled many dangers which would otherwise
follow rapid rises in the rivers, to be guarded
against, and contributed, by the constant and ac-
curate knowledge given of the depth of water in
the channels to the convenience and safety of the
river commerce. The benefits resulting from these
reports now in the second year Of their ISSUE have
been fully acknowledged by the various inter-
ests they have advanced The total number Of
special river bulletins issued has been 23.2
By the different modes of publication adopted
for the service each of which has been ranged
with definite purpose, and including that through
the public press, it is estimated that the infor-
nation emana.ing from this office reaches daily
one-third of the households in the United States
The office is in regular communication with 161
established organizations, as Boards of Trade
Chambers OF Commerce, Agricultural Societies
and Commercial Associations. In addition to this
wide diffusion, the works of the office of scientific
character and not intended for more daily popular
use, have acquired a precision of detail and full
ness OF which enables them to compare
favorably with those of foreign countries The
plan and arrangement of these works are peculiar
to this country.
vERIFIcATToN OF THE PROBABILITIES
The ascertalned comparative accuracy of the de-
auctions from reports styled "Probabitiesn has
ing years The percentage of verifcation has been
automatically computed for each of the geo.
graphical districts mentioned in the reports The
annual average of verihcatons has been as follows
for the following named districts: New England
6150; Middle States, SLIT; South Atlantic, 70 90;
Lower Lakes. 70 90; Eastern Gulf, n. 16 Ohio VAL
ley, 6.42; Western Gulf, TAO; Upper Lakes
1925; Northwest IA. With q more rigid and
scrutinizing mode OF calculation than was before
proved.