14 Ninth Annual Report of thk 



The benefits to be derived from the crop-bulletin have never 

 been more apparent than during this season, when a financial crisis 

 and the remarkable diversity of weather, and hence the crop condi- 

 tions, in various regions of the State and country, rendered it of 

 especial importance that the farmer should be kept in touch with 

 agricultural prospects beyond his own immediate range of obser- 

 vation. 



Special work at the Central Office. — The collation, in tabular 

 form, of the observations carried on at the Central Station during 

 the past 19 years, has been recently undertaken. The table of daily 

 temperatures is now completed, but in accordance with meteorolog- 

 ical usage, its publication will be withheld until the completion of 

 the 20 years period 1879-1898. The rainfall and other elements 

 wall be similarly treated, and will form the basis of a thorough 

 descriptive study of the climate of Ithaca, which it is hoped may 

 appear in the report for the coming year, 



A very comprehensive collection of rainfall records for the State 

 at large is deposited at this office, and this data is now being 

 systematically studied. The first paper, relating to secular or long- 

 range fluctuations of rainfall, is nearly ready for publication. 



Modifications in the design of instruments in use at this station 

 have been designed by the director and meteorologist, and the work 

 has been executed by a mechanician temporarily employed for the 

 purpose. The cinemograph, an instrument showing in detail the 

 velocity of the wind during gusts, has required many changes, and 

 is now much better fitted for its purposes than when purchases 

 from the makers. Much consideration- has also been given to the 

 design of a new sunshine recorder, since none of those now in use 

 are at all adequate to the needs of agricultural investigation. 



