70 AJTNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



These publications afford a. most satisfactory means of giving to 

 the public important information of climatic conditions in all parts 

 of the country and are invaluable in the work of tliis Bureau, which 

 consists so largely in supplying weather information to all classes 

 of individuals. 



A rather full history of the cold winter of 1917-18, with a liberal 

 display of charts showing some of the more important features of the 

 pressure distribution and the resultant wind, temperature, and snow- 

 fall conditions over the North American Continent and the adjacent 

 waters, as far as observations would permit, was issued during the 

 year and given a wide distribution through the Monthly Weather 

 iieview. 



Weather and Crop Bulletin. — The National Weather and Crop 

 Bulletin was issued as in previous years without material change in 

 policy. In addition to current weather and crop information, the 

 bulletin contains, from time to time, charts and discussions bearing 

 on the relation of climate to crops and agricultural operations. The 

 value of this publication is evidenced by the popular demand for it, 

 W'hich has grown to such proportions as to severely tax the printing 

 facilities of the Bureau in its issue. 



During the active agricultural season a weather and crop summary 

 is published at each section center, 42 in number, which is dissemi- 

 nated by bulletins and through the public press. 



Pacific coast weather and crop service. — A special weather and crop 

 service, covering seven of the far AVestern States, was continued dur- 

 ing the year, with San Francisco as the district center. The bulletin 

 issued at that point conforms in both scope and time of issue to the 

 National AVeather and Crop Bulletin and has proved of great value. 



Monthly Weather Review. — Contributions to the Monthly Weather 

 Eeview increased rapidly after the signing of the armistice, which 

 liberated much material previously held as confidential and also 

 allowed former contributors to turn from their war-time activities. 



Beginning with the January, 1019, issue, the make-up of the 

 Monthly Weather Review was consolidated by dividing the contents 

 into two groups — Contributions and Bibliography and Weather of 

 the Month — and some improvement was made in the attractive- 

 ness. The contents of the weather section were rearranged and 

 some new features added, the most important being the current 

 weather of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans instead of that for the 

 corresponding month a year before. 



LIBRARY. 



During the year 890 books and pamphlets were added to the 

 library, bringing the total strength of the collection up to about 

 88,000. A considerable amount of bibliographic work has been 

 done during the year, including the preparation of a nearly exhaus- 

 tive bibliography on the cliiuatoloo-y of South America. A new 

 edition of the publication " Brief List of Meteorological Textbooks 

 and Reference Books " has been prepared for the printer. Several 

 of tlie more important foreign periodicals, whose receipt was inter- 

 rupt ed during the war, are now beinnr received and have been indexed 

 to date. 



