The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-05
INACCURATE new LINE OF
WORK TO help FARMER
Weather Bureau. Taking Up Special
Study, Which win Be Benefit to
the Agriculturahst as Well as the
General Public

Washington, ID. c., Dec. 5.-Several
new lines of work for the benefit of the
public, and especially of the farmers,
according to the annual report of the
Weather Burean were inaugurated dur
ing the year. Others recently begun
have been extended into portions of the
country where the growing Importance
Of agricultural pursuits have made
them of increased value.
A special service given to orchard.
lists and raisers of tobacco, oranges,
cranberries and certain other crops
has been rendered by means of frost
warnings issued in spring and autumn,
Close attention is paid by the fore,
casters to the needs of these crops at
critical periods, and the growers are
kept fully advised as to the dangers
of frost and are warned of the neces-
sity of resorting to measures of pro.
lection through artificial heating and
smudging, or flooding the bogs in the
case of eranberries.
The establishment of q ''Cattle Re.
gion Service,'' through which bulletins
,eontaining statements of weather con.
ditions over the stock ranges of the
Texas panhandle and adjacent regions
are issued, constitutes a new feature
Of the bureaus work. This has been
particularly effective as affecting the
cattle industry of the great Southwest
having proved of such material value
rs to create a demand for its continu.
anee throughout the entire year, in,
stead of from April to October as at
present.
Another opportunity for service has
been found in the timbered regions OF
the west during periods of unusual
drought. This has been taken advan.
tage of through the issue of special
forecasts of hot dry winds, which are
disseminated directly to the officials OF
the fire patrol of the Forest Service
and other similar organizations. placing
them on their guard at times of un-
usual danger of fire inception. A fea.
ture of considerable moment to scien.
lists and students of meteorology' was
the daily issue of a weather map for
the entire Northern hemisphere, begun
by the bureau last January. Unfortu.
nately, the issue of this map was ne.
cessarily suspended at the outbreak of
the present European war.
A special investigation of orchard
conditions in western North Carolina
where systematic observations are be.
ing carried on in a number of orchards
by the Weather Bureau in cooperation
With the State Experiment Station,
promises to give valuable results,
These studies have in view the estab.
lishment of the influence of topography
on local climate, the ultimate object
being to differentiate the safe and un.
safe locations for orchards in such re.
gions.
Explorations of the upper air and
studies of solar radiation We're con.
tinued by the bureau during the year.
No small light has been thrown upon
obscure features of weather control
through the information already OBJ.
tanned of conditions prevailing in the
upper atmosphere. and continued in.
vestigations are expected to disclose ad-
ditional valuable facts. Active field
work of this character was transferred
during the year from Mount Weather
Va, to Fort Omaha, Neb., where more
favorable conditions for atmospheric
exploration exist.