Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-07-03
safely predict a light frost in low

i
places.
| We keep the water high when W,
anticipate cool nights. By doing thi
we can usually food in five or sil
hours, whereas if we allow the wate
to get low, which We prefer to dt
when we think the danger of frost i!
not near, it might require fully 2i
hours to flood, for the dry spongy boe
swallows up an immense quantity Of
water. When we learn, through
Chicago newspapers, OF high pressure
In the extreme northwest, we antici
pate cool nights and raise the water
in our bitches preparatory to flooding
If necessary.
We should have three sets OF
weather warnings; one predicting COO
nights, one predicting light frost,
and another predicting killing frost
These would exactly meet our require.
ments. The cool nights come to in
groups OF three; the second night is
the one that usually does the damage.
Your Prof. w. M. Wilson, OF
Milwaukee, visited US last year, and
that visit was Of much service to US.
We would like very much if he or some
one from your department could meet
with us at our summer meeting to be
held on August the 18th next, at the
Gaynor marsh, which is near the
Bennett marsh that you visited when
you were here.
Our university has established an
experiment station at that place, and
their well trained scientific observers
with the cooperation of your depart
ment can do great deal for the
cranberry industry. Prof. Whitson of
our university is in charge of that
station. and he is an Industrious,
careful observer and can be trusted
for any work that you may assign to
him.
Your manifest good will to us is my
excuse for imposing on you this letter.
Yours respectfully,
JOHN A. GAYNOR.
Chief Moore's Answer.
Washington, June 26, 1908.
Mr.. John a. Gaynor, Attorney at
Law, Grand Rapids, Wis.
Nv dear Mr. Gavpor.
I have received your letter of the
23rd inst, in further reference to frost
warnings for the benefit of the cram
berry growers of Wisconsin. I have a
very pleasant recollection of my visits
amoung the cranberry growers. AS
you know, made special study of
frost conditions in Wisconsin, with
the view of improving the work of the
Bureau in forecasting frosts. At that
time made the warnings myself, as
the Milwaukee official then made the
forecasts for the whole state of Wis
consin; and being the director of the
Wisconsin Climate and Crop Service,
had the advantage of studying your
voluntary observers reports and COM
pairing the results in the marshes with
the conditions that obtained at city
stations. This comparison was inn
portant, as our forecasts are based en-
tirely on telegraphic reports from
cities. I have known the temperature
of vegetation in your marshes to fall
18 degrees below the temperature of a
city not 100 miles away. Prof. Cox is
one of the ablest forecasters in our
service, if not the ablest; but he has
never made special study of the con-
ditions in the marshes. Mr.. Wilson
at Milwaukee, forecasts for the vici-
nifty of Milwaukee, but his territory
does not extend to the marshes. He
however, has charge of the Wisconsin
Climate & Crop Service. He is one of
our old and highly valued officials. 1
have directed both Prof. Cox and Sec
ton Director Wilson to meet with YOU
at your summer meeting, to be held
on August 18th, at the Gaynor Marsh.
have forwarded your letter to Prof.
Cox. 1t is such an intelligent state
ment of the situation that I am sure it
will be valuable to him in indicating
the line of study that he should make
I have directed him to take the volun-
tary observers reports of Wisconsin
for June, August and September, for
the past FIVE years, and make charts
of the conditions in the marshes, and
carefully study these conditions with
the antecedent distribution of pressure
in the northwest. I believe that the
result will be that in the future it will
be rare that light frost reaches your
marshes without previous warning,
although would especially ask you to
remember that the work of forecast
ing is predicated on human Judgment,
and the ab1est and most careful mind
will occasionally err.
Regretting my inability to be with
you myself and assuring you of my
hearty interest in everything that con-