The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-11-30
AGRICULTURAL COLUMNS
From the N. @. Agricultural Expert
ment Station at Raleigh
NOVEMBER IS, 1898.


tural Industries of North Carolina.
BY H B. Battle, Director N C. Agricultural
Experiment Station
THE State Weather Service is organized as
Station.
One of the principal objects of the es-
tabliShment in 1886 of Weather Ser
vice in North Carolina was for the ma
terial and immediate benefit to the agrl-
cultural and horticultural industries OF
the State. 1t is true that other results
were sought and desired, such as more
perfect knowledge of our climate as
whole, by sections, and by separate To-
calities. For in this way, besides CIV
ing prominence to our uneXcelled ell
mate-the cream of America-the
knowledge thus gained could be utilized
in possible adaptation of field and gar
den crops from other portions of our
own, or of far-off countries.
With the exception of one field crop
tObacco-there are none of the staples
liable to be materially hurt by sudden
and decided change of the weather
With fruit and vegetables the case IS
quite different, especially during the
early spring, when the liability of a bit
ing frost is great, when the tender buds,
leaves and flowers Of fruit trees and
small fruits can be most easily affected,
and early vegetables of the trucker are
likewise at its mercy; then it is that a
foreknowledge of the coming of cold
waves and frOsts is of the greasest adj
vantage. 1t is here that the State
Weather Service lends its aid to the
trucker and fruit grower, in addition to
the tobacco grower, by informing them
of the likelihood of sudden changes in
atmospheric conditions, and thus gives
forewarning of their advent.
Twenty years ago it would have
seemed chimerical to have supposed that
distant points could be told that a frost
was expected there thirty-six hours af-
terward, yet now such Is the ethclency
of the L. S. Weather Bureau attached
to the Department of Agriculture at
Washington and the facility and accu-
racy with which the state of the weather
is gathered by telegraph from most dis
tant as well as nearer points, and such
is the knowledge of the science, and the
ability of those engaged in digesting this
information, that different sections of
our common country are brought in the
focus of this investigation, and predic-
tons are made with almost startling
accuracy.
The weather Bureau gathers these
data, and sends the predictions sulta BILE
to various portions of the country-to
different states having Weather Ser
vices, and these in turn transmit them
to separate stations throughout the
State. The system of collecting mete
geological data originated with the U.
S. War Department as military neceS-
sity. BY this means meteorological
records from most distnat points on the
frontier posts of the extreme west, at
that time connected only by a telegraph
line with civilization, were secured and
invaluable knowledge gained of the rise
and progress of cold waves having their
origin in those bleak regions. As l
write now in-the latter part of October
with an outside temperature of 81 de-
grees L. in Raleigh, we have knowledge
of IL degrees T. in North Dakota. With
this knowledge a frost prediction was
made for this locality two days ahead,
which prediction was subsequently am
ply fulfilled. The Signal Service of the
War Department became in this way
of such great value institution in
peace, especially to the agricultural OPP
cided to greatly facilitate its labors, and
to transfer it to the L. S. Department
of Agriculture, and the Weather Bureau
was then formed. The State Weather
Services cooperate with the central Blu
reau, and are indebted to it for facilities
and the means for conducting most OF
| their operations.
The n. C. State Weather Service or
| ganized as the Meteorological Division
| of the n. c. Agricultural Experiment
| Station embraces in its work:
1. The Collection of Meteorological
| Data. Sixty-two voluntary observers
| throughout the State cooperate in re-
| cording local observations and the result
| of these data is printed in monthly
meteorological bulletin. These in turn
make up the annual summaries for the
! State The annual means for different
stations and districts are combined, COW
ering many years, to form nOrmalS. At
some of the stations, records are pre-
served running back sixty or seventy
| years with few breaks. The normal
| pressure for the State is found to be
is 50 degrees, almost exactly that of the
| Northern Hemisphere. The normal
| rainfall is 53.29 degrees.
| 3. The issue of a Weekly Weather
| Crop Bulletin. Reports are sent in from
| April to October from 21O observers
representing 81 of the 90 counties show
| ing the effects of the weather upon the
growing crops. These reports are en-
| bodied in the weekly crop bulletin.
| 3. Distribution of Daily Weather Fore
| casts, Cold-wave and Frost Warnings.
| 1t is under this section that the agricul-
| tural and horticultural interests of the
| State are mainly benefited. As was
| previously said, the knowledge of fore
| coming frosts and cold waves is of great
! value to the trucker and fruit grower
| and tobacco grower. 1t enables him to
| prepare for its reception, to cut his to-
| bacco and protect his small fruits
| and trucking crops, as well as his fruit
| trees. The Weather Service has in this
way often saved crops in many locali-
ties, and seeks to extend further its use
fitness. Daily forecasts and special
| warnings are sent daily except Sunday
by telegraph to So points. Thirty addi-
| tional points receive frost warnings
only between March Is and May Is, and
in the Fall to November 1. In order
| that stations may be supplied with tele-
| graphic messages, it is necessary that
the point be reached by the Western
| Union telegraph, and that signals be
| shown to disseminate these forecasts.
In addition to the Geographic service,
many nearby points are reached
| through the mails, and 2s1 stations are
thus supplied. After reaching station
| the information is disseminated in three
ways: first, by posting the telegram
next, by hosting of flags; and last, by
| whistle signals. The hosting of flags
| is the most common for everyday prac
| tice. Four flags 6 by feet are used
| the white for fair weather, the blue fol
rain, the black triangular for tempera
ture, and white with black centre-square
for cold wave. An additional flag il
sometimes used, a combination white
| and blue for local rains. The cut below
shows the appearance of the flags.
| WEATHER FLAGS.