14 Eighth Annual Report of the 



pressed as to the proper functions of a State weather service. 

 Among the applicants for information are to be mentioned, firstly, 

 the agricultural experiment stations, whose recently awakened 

 interest in soil temperature and the movements of ground water, 

 as subjects of practical importance to the farmer, calls for 

 meteorological data upon which these elements are dependent. 

 The interest of farmers in these questions is also evidenced by the 

 fact That they contribute a large proporti ju of the most valuable 

 reports received by this Bureau. 



Secondly, frequent requests for information are received from 

 the large class of persons interested in medical climatology, in- 

 cluding State and municipal boards of health as well as private 

 practitioners, and invalids with whom climate is a matter of pri- 

 mary importance in the selection of a place of residence. The 

 remarkable diversity of climatic conditions to be found within 

 the limits of this State, which will be referred to with more de- 

 tail further on, renders it of more than usual importance that the 

 peculiar characterictics of each region shall be fully determined 

 and made accessible to the public. 



Our data is also very frequently called for by engineers, in 

 nearly all branches of their profession, but especially by those 

 having in charge the supervision of State canals and waterways 

 and the water supply and drainage of cities. City engineers have 

 rendered this Bureau valuable aid in the establishment of volun- 

 tary stations, and (as in the case of the engineer at Little Falls) 

 have entered on lines of special investigation promising to be of 

 mutual benefit. 



In addition to the above, our records are in constant demand 

 in the law courts of the State, for cases involving, often, large 

 sums for damages to individuals, corporations and cities; also, 



