WEATHER BUREAU. 69 



been described in previous reports. Its activities have been con- 

 tinued, improved, extended, and given specially direct application 

 as far as possible to all agricultural activities of the Nation now so 

 directly concerned in food production and conservation. 



In addition to its function of supervising and directing the weather 

 and crop service, this division is also responsible for conducting 

 studies of many different kinds. Without attempting to describe the 

 various special investigations comprised within the operations of this 

 division, the following brief outline will indicate the extent and char- 

 acter of its activities : 



Corn and wheat region service. — Covers 16 principal gram 

 States, with the region center at Chicago, 111., and 188 special 

 reporting stations. 



Cotton region service. — Covers 11 principal cotton States, with 

 the region center at New Orleans, La., and 165 special reporting 

 stations. 



Sugar and rice region service. — Covers the rice and sugar cane 

 growing sections of the South, with 6 special-reporting stations. 



Cattle-region service. — Covers all or parts of eight grazing 

 States, with 67 special-reporting stations. This service was clianged 

 in the spring of 1918 from a daily service during the summer months 

 to a weekly service throughout the year. This change is proving to 

 be of decided advantage. 



Special forecast and warning services. — Special stations are 

 maintained in the principal tobacco, potato, alfalfa seed, cranberry, 

 citrus, and deciduous fruit-growing regions, to aid in special fore- 

 casts and minimum temperature warnings, and have proved to be of 

 marked value in this connection. 



Cooperation. — The Weather Bureau is cooperating with other 

 bureaus and departments in maintaining special stations for the bene- 

 fit of science and agriculture. Such stations are maintained in 14 

 different States. 



Protection of orchard and truck crops from frost. — Considerable 

 time has been devoted to the making of temperature and air- drain- 

 age surveys in citrus and deciduous orchards in the West, and in 

 studying orchard-heating problems. Officials of the bureau have 

 been placed in the principal districts where orchard heating is ex- 

 tensively practiced to aid in making and distributing minimum tem- 

 perature forecasts. 



Frost studies in North Carolina. — For several years the bureau 

 has been conducting frost and temperature studies in North Carolina. 

 During the year the final report of the discussion of nearly five 

 years' accummulated data was submitted and is undergoing careful 

 examination and consideration with the view to ultimate publica- 

 tion. 



The effect of the weather upon crops. — The Division of Agricul- 

 tural Meteorology has continued its study of the relation between 

 weather and climate, and crops. Data have been collected and tabu- 

 lated and results obtained which are proving of marked advantage 

 to agriculture. 



