REPORT. 



Ithaca, N. Y., January 1, 1897. 

 To the Honorable the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of 

 New York: 



Sir. — I have the honor of transmitting to you an account of 

 the operations of the New York Weather Bureau during the past 

 year, together with a financial statement, summaries of weather 

 and crop conditions, and a report on the climate of the State. 



The routine work at the central ofQce has been carried on 

 efficiently and without breaks. The clerical employes of the 

 State are the same as in previous years; and the National 

 Weather Bureau has continued the detail of Mr. R. M. Hardinge 

 as assistant to the director, which place he has occupied since 

 1890. 



The maintenance of extensive systems of meteorological, crop 

 and forecast-display stations has necessarily occupied nearly all 

 the time of our clerical force; a fact which is to be regretted in 

 view of the pressing need which exists for climatological inves- 

 tigation and experimental work in meteorology. The service 

 now comprises 112 well distributed meteorological stations, 81 

 of which are equipped with thermometers and rain-gauges and 

 31 with rain-gauges only. Daily readings of self-registering 

 maximum and minimum thermometers are made at all regular 

 stations; and in addition, about one-half the number report the 

 temperature at 7 a. m., 2 p. m. and 9 p. m., which method gives 

 a valuable check on the daily averages as obtained from the 



