68 iiNNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tions of this character will not be possible, and, unless prices recede, a 

 substantial increase in the allotment for instrumental equipment must 

 follow. 



STORM-WARNING EQUIPMENT. 



The three-lantern system was completed on the Atlantic coast dur- 

 ing the fall of 1918, and work on the Pacific coast was abont half com- 

 pleted at the end of the fiscal year. The entire installation will be 

 finished by October 1, 1919. It is a pleasure to report that there has 

 been very little expense for repairs at stations equipped with this new 

 system, and while the initial expenditure of making the change is 

 somewhat high, it is believed that the total cost to the Bureau through 

 a period of, say, 10 years Avill be no greater than would be the cost of 

 maintaining the former less effective equipment. 



NEW INSTRUMENTS. 



A form of thermograph, intermediate in size between our present 

 long- and short-range instruments, has been adopted as standard for 

 future purchases and will eventually replace all thermographs now in 

 nse in the Bureau. 



A minimum thermometer of larger index, so as to obtain increased 

 visibility and thereby retain to the Bureau the services of cooperative 

 observers who must now give np the work because of failing eyesight, 

 has been worked out with the cooperation of the manufacturers, and 

 it is hoped to obtain a quantity of these in the near future. 



A nephoscope of rugged construction and simple form has been 

 designed for general use in the Bureau, and a contract for 100 of these 

 has been awarded. 



EVAPORATION WORK. 



Extensions of the Class A evaporation stations have been made only 

 Avhere satisfactory and continuous observations were to be expected. 

 Thirty-eight stations well distributed over the country now render 

 regular reports. 



PRINTING AND PUBLICATIONS. 



War conditions at the beginning of the year continued to embarrass 

 the Avork of this division through the loss of employees and the im- 

 possibility of replacing them with efficient substitutes. Thus the lack 

 of skilled press feeders necessitated keeping idle some of our presses 

 much of the time and compelled us to use some of our scant printing 

 allotment for having work done at the Government Printing Office 

 that would otherwise have been taken care of by own own printing 

 plant. However, no delays or interruptions were allowed to occur in 

 ju'inting and distributing the daily weather maps, Aveekly crop bulle- 

 tins, and other periodical publications of the Bureau, Avhose value de- 

 pends entirely upon the promptness and regularity with which they 

 are placed before the public. Since the close of the war conditions 

 have gradually become more satisfactory, and the early installation 

 of automatic press-feeding machines will prevent a recurrence of some 

 of the troubles experienced during the past year. 



The demand for Weather Bureau publications relating to meteoro- 

 logical and allied subjects maintained its usual high level, especially 

 as regards requests received from military and naval sources for 



