The evening times., 1895-08-10
TOREAD fHE WEATHER MAP
Its Lines and Symbols Explained
by the Bureaus Experts.
How the Evening Times Readers May
Tell w hat the Conditions Are
and What to Expect.


The policy Of the Department Of Agri
culture is TO place before the people OF the
United States az much useful scientific in.
formation a. is possible. This knowledge
really belongs to ahe people, tnasmuch as
they sustain the bece$ $sary expense of col
lecting the observations upon which the
scientists make @eip Investigations.
When valuable results are acquired II is
proper that the asstyfbution of the same,
in as simple languages as is consistent with
the subject, be made one Of the primary
duties of the sefvite.
The Assistant Secretary of the Department
of Agriculture. DR.. Charles W. Dabney, IT,.
Is especially in charge of this popular dis
tribution Of scientific, knowledge, and has
enjoined upon all bureaus OF the department
the duty of cooperating in this direction.
There are few branches of the service from
which ready response can be more prop
erly expected than the Weather Bureau.
that has charge of the collection and dis
semination Of all proper information re-
garding the ever-changing weather con-
ditions SO direciy affecting the comfort
and health OF all the people.
Tho officials of the bureau have been
greatly pleased with the very important CO.
operation that the press Is giving to the
bureau In the distribution of weather
Information in this and other communities.
While 1t ts possible for the Government to
publish o comparatively small Dumber Of
the Daily Weather Maps on a large scale,
and to distribute these by messenger or by
mail, it 10 nevertheless clear that reliance
will more be placed upon the daily press
for this purpose. Since a practical way
has been found to make such clear ,ha ndsome
reproductions OF the large map the necessity
for the Government map is somewhat mod
filed, because the general points OF the
current weather conditions are display yed
sufficiently well for all common purposes
on the smaller SCALE or course, the ad-
vantage is all with the press in reaching
larger numbers Of people.
SEEKING INFORMATION.
Reports are constantly coming to the bu-
reau Of an increasing interest in the daily
weather map ON the part of many persons
who have been attracted by the press
reproductions, and very often these are ac-
conipanied by the expression of the wish
that they could understand the meaning
Of the lines q little better. The proportion
Of readers who do perceive the way the
lines show the temperature and pressure
OF the air as they change from map to map
in their location Is already great and yet
1t Is thought that with little care and
effort nearly every one who can read
may also comprehend the daily weather
map, at least approximately.
II is like learning a nav language and
at first costs some labor, but when once the
symbols are understood, there is a pleasure
in reading the same that compensates for
the intellectual work expended. This ar
uclc Is therefore addressed to those who
have not quite mastered the symbols and the
lines on the niap, and to those who have
not yet attempted to look into 1t
at all. II some one in each family would
take the trouble to follow the directions
thai -are given herewith II twill not be
long before every member of it can take
aninterest In this br,lhch of the Government
service.
1t ia well kEown that the forecasters Of
the Weather Bureau often make mistakes
in their efforts to interpret the probable
changes in these zines for day or two
ahead, and that in consequence they are