REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, 49 



district alone exceeded $10,000,000, although the winter was not an 

 unusually severe one. EejDorts from Alaska, made available through 

 the cooperation of the Signal Corps of the Army and office of com- 

 mimications of the Navy, were an important factor in making the 

 M'arnings timely and accurate. Alaskan observations were an equal 

 factor in the cold-wave warnings issued in other commercial dis- 

 tricts. An organized unit of the Weather Bureau has been in 

 operation in Alaska since 1916, and its activities have been of great 

 value to the commercial and marine interests of the United States. 



Flood warnings proved of great value during the year. During the 

 Arkansas Valley flood livestock and other property to the value of 

 $1,350,000 was reported as having been saved by flood warnings 

 sent out well in advance. The total reported flood losses during 

 the year were $36,591,362, while the value of portable property 

 saved by flood warnings was given, in admittedly incomplete re- 

 turns, as $4,240,465. 



During the year schemes for forecasting river stages and floods 

 have been completed for the Willamette River system of Oregon, the 

 Connecticut River, and the Brazos River of Texas. Other schemes 

 will be undertaken as time will permit, mainly for the smaller 

 rivers, as those for the larger rivers and their tributaries are vir- 

 tually complete. 



With the advent of the practical navigation of the air a whole 

 new service is now demanded, a service of flying weather forecasts 

 and weather advices to aviators. This compels the bureau to get 

 above the surface and extend its observations, measurements, and 

 advices into the free air, which is being done in a very limited way 

 at the present time by means of kites and little so-called pilot 

 balloons. 



HEADWAY WITH HIGHWAYS. 



Eight thousand eight hundred and twenty miles of Federal- aid 

 roads of all types were completed during the fiscal year, which, 

 added to the mileage completed prior to the fiscal year, brought the 

 total of comj)leted projects up to 26,536 miles. The projects under 

 construction at the close of the year amounted to 14,772 miles and 

 were estimated as 53 per cent complete. 



