Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-02-23
Interesting Account of the Incep-
ton of the Department and
Its Work.
A Year Of Existence Before Anv Aid
Was Given By the State For
Its Support.
The Report Will Be An Interesting
and Complete Detail of Work
Done BY It.
E. G. Packer of Wllliamsport, Has q
Few Words Concerning Diver
siied Farming.
The State Weather Service,

sified Farming.
The State Weather Service.
The closing of the current month
marks the close of the first year OF the
existence Of the state weather service OF
North Dakota. In reality and to all in
terests and purposes. there has been a
state weather service for two years, the
first year carried on by Director w. H.
Fallon, without assistance from the state.
Mr.. Fallon established in various parts
Of the state, weather and crop stations,
They forwarded to him data obtained at
the various stations in the state, apd of
these lie compiled reports. The crop
statistics also were forwarded to Inn,
and these he arranged and compiled each
week, into a weekly summary of crop
conditions and prospects. The work
upon these had all to. be done by hand.
The summary was typewritten and MINI
iographed, and their distribution effected
in this manner. 1t was the beginning
of q state weather service, and, as is gen.
orally the case, the work was carried on
under considerable difficulty.
The benefit of a crop service such as
this, and the value of a complete and
accurate record of the weather in the
different parts of the state became at
once apparent, and when the legislature
of 1928 convened, an effort was made
to bring the matter to the attention of
the legislators, and secure a moderate
appropriation from the state for the
carrying on of the work. There we're
numerous little requisites to a state SER
vice, the expenses of which a moderate
appropriation would cover. The effort
to secure n was successful, and about
March let, last, a bill was approved, pro-
viding for the establishment of a state
weather and crop service, and appropri-
ating the sum of 81, 900 for incidental ex-
penses OF the service for the period of
two years next after the passage of the
act. The bill also provides for the pub
LEGATION by the state of a yearly report of
the work of the state service.
This appropriation inspired a greater
enthusiasm in the work of maintaining a
still better service, and made practicable
a number of improvements. The field of
observation of the service was enlarged
and new stations were added to the list
Of those already had. Where a lack OF in
struments, such as rain gauges and self
registering Thermometers, had prevented
the securing of data in some places, these
Instruments were now purchased, aud
sent out. The weekly crop bulletin,
which was received with interest by the
residents of the state every week, was
enlarged and added to, and printed, in
stead of typewritten as before. The
state weather service was improved, and
made beneficial to farmers and crop
~raisers.
In the light of these improvements in
the state weather service, and of the ex-
tension of its field Of usefulness, the
first yearly report, which will soon be
printed in accordance with the law, will
be an interesting document. The re-
port has been prepared by Observer
Bronson, and will soon go to the hands
of the printer. It is a resume of the
work of the period from the inception of
the state service, until the close of the
last calendar year, Dec. 81, 1893. It
will be a document of value to the state,
ALEC, and of statistical interest. 1t will
consist OF a statement Of the stations es-
tablished 10 the state, and of the work
done at each, with a list of the observers.
1t will contain, also, tables of the
weather for each month and day, at
each station-maximum, minimum and
mean temperature. There will be also
interesting data of average rainfall and
snowfall, with the curious m~eteorologi-
cal phenomena, which have been wit.
messed by observers.
Heretofore, there has been no record
of weather in the state, except as re-
ported by government stations. and no
publicity has been given these records,
except in the general reports of the
weather as published by the department
of agriculture and the weather bureau.
The only reports of weather in this
state, aside from these, are the ones
which have been telegraphed out by
correspondents, upon the occasions Of
excessive heat or cold, and these reports
have done much to give the state it,
undeserved reputation for extremes
of temperature. The publication
OF an authorized report, by the
state, giving the average of temperature
for the year in all parts of the state, will
do much to correct the false impression
which exists. The distribution of the
reports should and doubtless will be
J liberal, and it may surprise those who