The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-02-02
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
a message over the phone may cause
the entire countryside to become
scene of intensive activity. There Is
a 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 It'd
ings of conditions which may mean
heavy monetary losses to the unpre-
pared farm or ranch.
On the other hand forecast predict
ing good or hot weather for three or
four days to came may send thousands
Of reapers into the fields to take ad-
vantage of favorable weather, and az
If by magic, change the landscape from
one of waving grain or grass into a
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 1850 other observation
points, the bureau has established {
large number Of special stations fol
observating crop weather conditions IL
the corn, wheat, cotton, sugar, rice, ant
cattle-raising districts. The object o
this service Is to furnish the grower
of each Of these crops throughout tn
summer with information that will Ell
able them to handle the crops to. bes
advantage. The corn and wheat reglol
service covers, for example, the /
principal grain states, in which
maintains one region center, 13 dil
trict centers, and 174 special stations
from which kilograms are receive
daily and reports disseminated. Dali
bulletins showing the temperatur
and rainfall at these stations ar
published at Is different points an
distributed to approximately 2,775 dill
ferent people. Similar services deal
ing with cotton weather condition
cover the Il principal cotton states AM
consist of data gathered in 13 center
through 175 special stations.
The crop weather service is partiC
ularly important to alfalfa growers i
all the western states and special thre
or four-day forecasts are issue
throughout the season to alfalfa hai
vesters.
Special Fruit-Region Service.
The special frult-reglon weathe
warning service, which forecasts pal
ticularly the coming Of spring FROST
is of particular value in the intensiv
orcharding districts where fruit grow
ers have made preparations by mean
of smudging or heating or other mean
to protect their orchards from fros
The orchard forecasts and warning
: are principally for the benefit Of fru
men Of Ohio, Colorado, Utah, Wasl
ington, Oregon and California. III
service has been expanded by the e
tablishment Of seven new stations
the grape and peach-growing dlstrlc
of northern Ohio and by the detnlli
Of trained meh for special duty in II
fruit district Of the Hood river vale
Oregon, and the Gunnison vale
Colorado. These men study the loc
situation and give expert informatlt
to the fruit growers as to the TEL
peratures to be expected and as
the probable need to light fires
! their orchards.
Special rain and temperature for
I casts for the sheepmen in Orego
Washington, and Idaho were made
4 the district forecaster at Portlan
e Ole, .drlng the shearlng and lambll
e season of 1916. It Is estimated til
d there are moro than G,000,000 sheep
these states. As wlnlcr feeding
:, expensive, sheep arc usually shorn N
:. put on the ranges as early ~ pos
o BILE. Early lambiDa is encouraged ais
/" Before being shOln, IL stormy al
}, cold weather prevails, the sheep mi
y succumB to fatigue and slaryatl1
and after they are shorR 1t Is nec'
!, sary TO keep them near natural
. artificial protection for a short perl
Il IL unfavorable conditions prevail. 7
/ forecasts enable proper precautions
e. be taken by anticipating these com
If tions, and also give information as
IS favorable weather conditiOng for 81