1G8 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



FROST PROTECTION WORK. 



Special attention was given during the year to warnings for tlio 

 benefit of shippers and growers of perishable products. Forecasts 

 were sent out daily from a num!)er of our hirgor stations, giving the 

 proba!)le temperatures hkel}' to be encountered by perisliable goods 

 sliii>ped in any direction. 



Substations were estabhslied in the cranberry marshes of Massa- 

 chusetts, in the citrus fruit districts of Florida, and in some of the 

 orchard districts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and 

 California. During the frost season special reports are sent from 

 these substations to the forecast center, where they are used in the 

 preparation of a special forecast in the afternoon or early evening, 

 supjilementing the regular morning forecast. By this means the 

 growers are enabled to take such precautionary measures as are 

 available to protect their crops. In Washington, Oregon, Idaho, 

 Utah, Florida, and California the fruit growers smudge and fire 

 when necessary, while in the cranberry regions the cranberry growers 

 flood their bogs to prevent injury. In this line of v/ork it has been 

 the policy to furnish the individual with information particularly 

 applicable to his orchard, rather than to have him depend upon a 

 general forecast that would apply to a large section, but couW not 

 accurately cover the section m detail. Effort has also been made 

 to encourage the growers to organize and employ protective measures 

 in saving their crops from frosts and freezes. Thus far the work has 

 been successful beyond expectation. One example of the fruits of 

 this work is instanced by a letter from Mr. Thomas F. Mahoney^ 

 secretary of the Chamber of Conmierce of Grand Junction, which 

 was published in the Denver News of May 18, 1911. In this letter 

 it is claimed that the prompt action taken by the orchardists of 

 Colorado's western slope on the receipt of the warnings of a severe 

 freeze last spring resulted in the saving of S2, 500, 000. 



The following is from a letter written by the secretary of the 

 Yakima Commercial Club, North Yakima, Wash., regarding the 

 work of the past year in that section: 



The timely warnings of danger given did much in the way of prevention of loss 

 from fropt, and it is the general belief that witJi better preparations on the part of the 

 fruit growers another season, still greater benefits may be derived from the frost service 

 of the bureau. 



The president of the Provo Commercial Club, Provo, Utah, also 

 testifies to the work of the bureau in that vicinity during the frost 

 season of 1911, as follows: . 



Now that the frost period for this season is over and while the matter is still fresh 

 in our minds, we wish to express to you our appreciation of yoiu* efforts in our behalf. 

 There is no doubt but what your Weather Bureau has been of service to the fruit 

 grower this season, and taken together with the keen personal interest you yourself 

 have shown in the all-important question of "Saving the fruit," we are convinced 

 that with the further aid of the Agricultural Department this question will be solved. 



RIVER AND FLOOD DIVISION. 

 RIVER AND FLOOD SERVICE. 



Two new river districts were created during the year, with head- 

 quarters at Indianapolis, Ind., and lola, Kans., making a total of 

 56 river districts in operation at the end of the year. The new dis- 

 tricts were established for the purpose of securing increased efficiency 



