74 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



them. Radiotelephony is now utilized almost exclusively in this 

 work. 



The Weather Bureau does not own or operate any wireless equip- 

 ment. The radio distribution work is accomplished through plants 

 operated by other Government agencies, by corporations and by 

 private individuals, and without expense to the Weather Bureau. 

 An exclusive wave length of 485 meters has been assigned by the 

 Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce, for the broad- 

 castino^ of weather forecasts and market reports. Xo station can 

 use this AvaA'e length unless specifically licensed to do so. In order 

 that unnecessary crowding of the air and interference with schedules 

 may be avoided licenses are granted to only two stations in any city 

 or community. This necessarily eliminates a considerable number 

 of broadcasting stations that otherwise would gladly cooperate in 

 the work. On July 1, 1922, there were about 400 licensed broad- 

 casting stations in the United States. Therefore, about 25 per cent 

 of all the licensed broadcasting stations in the country are already 

 engaged in rendering valuable distribution service to the public. 

 A considerable portion of the remainder w^ould cooperate if suf- 

 ficient funds were available to provide them with the forecasts and 

 warnings. 



The entire project has involved the Weather Bureau in very little 

 cost. For the most part the broadcasting stations are located in or 

 near cities where first-order meteorological stations are maintained. 

 The information to be broadcast is supplied to them by telephone 

 without additional expense. Offers of cooperation by many broad- 

 casting stations have been reluctantly declined because of the ex- 

 pense involved in the telegraphing or telephoning the forecasts and 

 warnings to them. The service could be placed on a much higher 

 basis of efficiency and materially extended if funds were available 

 for the telegraphing of the forecasts, warnings and information to 

 radio stations not now included in the system and for additional 

 employees which would be required in the work. 



The great value of radiotelephony as a means for disseminating 

 weather forecasts and warnings to the people already has been dem- 

 onstrated. Its future usefulness can not be estimated. The Weather 

 Bureau v/as organized by Congress for the benefit of " agriculture, 

 commerce, and navigation." Heretofore, a large portion of the 

 farmers of the country were so located that they could not be sup- 

 plied by means of newspapers, telegraph, etc., with the daily fore- 

 casts and warnings in time to be of service to them. The extension 

 of telephone lines into rural communities overcame only a i^art of 

 this difficulty. Eadiotelegraphy was of slight help and necessitated 

 learning the telegraphic code. The m;u*velous advance in radio- 

 telephony has entirely changed this situation. It requires only a 

 limited equipment to receive radiotelephone messages. Tliousands 

 of farmers installed such receiving apparatus during the past year 

 and are now obtaining the weather forecasts and warnings, which 

 are so important to their operations, as promptly and effectively as 

 the business interests in urban communities. A great future in- 

 crease is inevitable. 



Another important accomplishment in radio work during the 

 year was the inauguration of a program of broadcasting daily. 



