The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-12-29
WEATHER BUREAU
is AID TO FARMER
System for Giving Warnings
Has Been Highly
Developed.
GIVES PROTECTION TO CROPS
News That Merely Makes the City
Man Take an Umbrella May Re-
suit in Intense Activity in
Agricultural Districts.


suit in Intense Activity in
Agricultural Districts.
Few city people reading Uncle
Sans weather forecasts in their morn.
ing papers realize the Importance
warning of rain, snow, frost, or high
winds may have for the farmer, fruit
grower, or stock raiser in the country,
The message which causes the city
man merely to debate whether he shall
carry an umbrella or take his over
coat, when telegraphed to country
points may be telephoned instantly
from farmer to farmer as news of the
greatest agricultural Importance. Such
Il message over the phone may cause
the entire countryside to. become Il
scene of intensive activity. There is
rush to hay or grain fields to get
in the crop or, in the spring, work like
beavers covering young seedlings in
the truck gardens with paper or other
protection from frost, or preparing to
build fires or light smudges In or
chards. On ranches every available
worker may be dispatched to herd in
sheep or stock to protect them from
storms. To them the message, which
in the city may have foretold only
slight personal discomfort carries tid'
ings of conditions which may mean
heavy monetary losses to the unpre-
pared farm or ranch.
On the other hand a forecast predict
ing good or hot weather for three or
four days to came may send thousands
of reapers into the fields to take adj
vantage of favorable weather, and, as
if by magic, change the landscape from
one of waving grain or grass into
scene of haycOcks, or wheat sheaves.
Special Systems Perfected.
The United States weather bureau
has perfected special systems and
facilities for obtaining and disseminate
ing advance weather news adapted to
the protection of growers of many Spe'
Cial crops in different sections Of the
country. In connection with the wealth
er reports received from its 200 sta
tions and from $500 other observation
points, the bureau has established
large number of special stations for
observating crop weather conditions in
the corn, wheat, cotton sugar. rice, and
cattle-raising districts. The object of
this service is to furnish the growers
OF each of these crops throughout the
summer with information that will en-
able them to handle the crops to best
advantage. The corn and wheat region
service covers, for example, the 10
principal grain states, in which it
maintains one region center, 13 dis
trict centers, and ia special stations,
from which kilograms are received
daily and reports disseminated. Daily
bulletins showing the temperature
and rainfall at these stations arc
published at IS different points and
distributed to approximately 2,775 diff
ferent people. Similar services deal-
ing with cotton weather conditions
cover the II principal cotton states and
consist of data gathered in IL centerS
through 175 special stations.
The crop weather service is partic-
ularly important to alfalfa growers in
all the western states and special three
| or four-day forecasts are issued
| throughout the season to alfalfa har.
vesters.
Special Fruit-Regon Service.
The special fruit-region weather
warning service, which forecasts par
/ ticularly the coming of spring frOsts,
is of particular value in the intensive
orchardlng districts where fruit grow
ers have made preparations by means
Cf smudging or heating or other means
| to protect their orchards from frost.
The orchard forecasts and warnings
are principally for the benefit Of fruit
men of Ohio, Colorado, Utah, Wash
ington, Oregon and California. This
service has been expanded by the es.
tablishment of seven new stations in
the grape and peach-grOwing districts
of northern Ohio and by the detailing
Of trained men for special duty in the
fruit district of the Hood river valley,
Oregon, and the Gunnison valley,
Colorado. These men study the local
situation and give expert information
to the fruit growers as to the tenn
peratures to be expected and as to
the probable need to light fires in
their orchards.
Special rain and temperature fore.
casts for the sheepmen in Oregon,
Washington, and Idaho were made by
the district forecaster at Portland,
Ore, during the shearing and lambing
season of 1916. 1t is estimated that
there are more than 100000 sheep in
these states. AS winter feeding IS
expensive sheep are usually shorn and
put on the ranges as early as posst-
BILE. Early lambing is encouraged also.
Before being shorn, if stormy and
cold weather prevails, the sheep may
succumb to fatigue and star alton,
and after they are shorn it is neceS-
sary to keep them near natural or
artificial protection for a short period
If 1nfavorable conditions prevail. The
forecasts enable proper precautions to
be taken by anticipating these condi-
tions, and also give information as to
favorable weather conditions for sew
eral days in advance, so that sheep
may be grazed farther away from pro-
! lection.