The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-03-28
WARNING AGAINST
FAKE FORECASTING
Chief of Weather. Bureau Says All I'm
portant Nations Are Utilizing Best
Developments of Science.

Throughout its history the weathe,
bureau has been called upon from time
to time to caution the general public
against the too credulous belief in n,
legged new systems for forecasting the
weather for weeks or months in adj
vance, or in schemes for the artificial
production OF rain, the prevention of
hail, and other proposals to control or
modify atmospheric phenomena or to
forecast them long time in advance.
Pretensions Of this character meet with
a certain credence because there are
a number of people who still cling to
the ancient belief in the influence of
the moon on the growth and develop
ment of crops, and to the idea that the
weather conditions depend upon plan
etary and astrological combinations. AS
a rule the general public is only partly
familiar with modern scientific facts
and seems overready to accept conf
IDENTIFY at face value almost any an
nouncement of alleged new discoveries,
especially when their exploitation is
clothed in skilful illusions to items of
the latest scientific information and
is accompanied by clever representa-
tions of the benefits that are to re-
suit.
character now being presented to the
people of the country in the daily
press is an alleged new system of
long-range weather forecasting said to
be based on the riffs and spottedness
of the sun and itsi shafts or solar radi-
alton.
Chief C. F. Marvin of the United
States weather bureau says that dur
ing the past several years the weather
bureau has received, in the form of
letters, circulars. diagrams and blue
prints full Specifications concerning
LalI essential details of this alleged new
Esystein of forecasting. The so-called
discovery is fully known to the
weather bureau and has received fair
and impartial study and examination
| by its scientific staff Moreover, other
scientists Of international reputation
now connected with the strongest in
stitutions in the world engaged in as
Economical research and conducting in
vestigations in solar and terrestrial
physics have also passed upon these
new theories. These authorities are il
accord that the deductions and con
illusions drawn from the solar condi
tions on which the new system is baset
are unwarranted. Solar phenomena Of
the kind described do not have any di
rect influence upon the weather at any
particular time and place, and there
fore can not be made the basis O
weather foreeasting
Spacious references to the moon, t,
the planets, and to the spottedness o
the sun and its shafts or radiation al
legged to dominate terrestrial weathe
are but picturesque frameworks upol
which to display weather forecasts 70
sale.
The United States weather bureau i
the authorized agency of the govern
ment to collect meteorological observa
tons and to make and issue weathe
Il forecasts and warnings, and every I'm
portant nation of the world has
similar organization. All are using es
sentially the same methods, all ar
, alert to utilize the real development
of science and to improve and perfec
methods and results, and all condem
and disprove the methods and theorie
} of the long-rangers.