186 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



supplies as have been needed for immediate use at the central oflice. 

 Lithographic operations remain unchano;ed. 



As a result of this chans^e in the printing work of the bureau the 

 services of 1() employees m its printing ollice were dis])ensed with at 

 the close of the year, 9 being transferred to the Government Printing 

 Ofhce. Seven rooms on the second floor of tlie quarters previously 

 occu])ied have also been vacated, antl all j)rinting work is now confined 

 to the first floor. 



DIVISION OF SUPPLIES. 



The reclassification of property recommended by the board of 

 survey wont into effect on June 1, 1911. This classification elimi- 

 nates the group formerly designated "Y" property, wliich, after 

 becoming unserviceable from use, corild be dropped from the returns 

 without special authority. Under the new system only such articles 

 can be dropped as are actually consumed by use or that are of slight 

 value and soon worn out in service. 



The equipment of 55 stations with chalk plate and stereotyping 

 outfits for use in casting plates for commercial maps was completed 

 during February, 1911. At a few of these stations the publication 

 of the maps in the daily papers has since been discontinued, but the 

 spare equipment has all been utilized in supplying other map-making 

 offices. 



New glass weather maps for public display were contracted for 

 and installed as follows: Two in the United States Capitol and one 

 each at Fort Smith, Ark.; Boston, Mass.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Rich- 

 mond, Va. ; Cincinnati, Ohio; Wicliita, Kans.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and 

 Peoria, 111. 



All regular stations and aU substations issuing daily forecast cards 

 were supplied with improved logotype outfits during the year. 

 Besides a much enlarged vocabulary of weather terms, with stand- 

 ard captions and dates, each new outfit for regular stations includes a 

 hand-printing press that produces excellent impressions in much 

 smaller and neater type than that formerly used on forecast cards. 

 Substations were supplied with new hand-stamping outfits, consist- 

 ing of a modified vocabulary and type holders of new and improved 

 pattern. These new outfits are superior in every respect to the old 

 stamping devices, and are the result of considerable experimental 

 work conducted in this division with a variety of apparatus sub- 

 mitted by manufacturers. 



OBSERVATORY BUILDINGS. 



No new observatory buildings were authorized during the year, 

 except the reconstruction of the building at Sand Key, Fla., to 

 replace the one that was destroyed by the hurricane of October 11, 

 1909. This building is now in course of construction, but the work 

 has been unusually difficult, because the key was practically washed 

 away by the hurricane of October 17, 1910. The building site is 

 now completely under water, which fact has materially retarded the 

 work. However, the key is gradually re-forming, and it is expected 

 that in a year or two it will have assumed its previous size. It is 

 probable that the building wiU be finished and ready for occupancy 

 by or before October 1, 1911. During the building operations the 

 Weather Bureau employees are occupying a room in the lighthouse 

 and the work of the bureau is being conducted without interruption. 



