180 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



hours in advance of the cold wave, and are often of immense value. 

 During the severe cold wave of January 1-5, 1896, which overspread 

 nearly the entire United States east of the Rocky Mountains, the 

 warnings were issued 36 hours in advance and resulted in saving 

 over $3,500,000 through the protection of property from injury or 

 destruction. 



Among the successful weekly forecasts that have been issued in 

 recent years those of July and December, 1911, were particularly 

 prominent. That of July successfully announced the breaking up of 

 a hot wave that had prevailed for some time over the Eastern and 

 Middle Western States. Again, on December 24, the weekly forecast 

 stated that, following a prolonged period of high temperature, 

 severe winter weather would visit the United States by the beginning 

 of 1912. The coldest weather in years occurred in the southern 

 plateau region, freezing temperatures were recorded in California, 

 a cold wave of marked intensity prevailed over the Plains States and 

 Mississippi Valley, and the change to colder was felt to the Gulf and 

 Atlantic coasts. 



DISTOIBUTION or FORECASTS AND STORM WARNINGS. 



The distribution of forecasts and of cold-wave, frost, and storm 

 warnings, for the benefit of agriculture and commerce, and in a 

 special way for the protection of fruit, cranberry, tobacco, sugar- 

 cane, and other crops, has been greatly extended during the past 10 

 years. The following table compares the distribution to places or 

 addresses in 1896 with that given in 1912 : 



Issue of forecasts and warnings. 



At Government expense: 



Forecasts (daily) 



Special warnings only.. 



Emerg-ency warnings 



Without expense to Government: 



Mail (forecast card) 



Rural delivery -.- 



Telegraph and telephone 



Railroad telegraph. 



Railroad train service 



Total- 



1896 



1,581 



598 



3,481 



22,642 



1,712 

 3,550 

 1,939 



35,503 



1912 



2,059 

 946 



5,154 



89,512 



30,539 



5,462,212 



451 



2,343 



5,593,216 



As will be observed, the main extension has been accomplished 

 by means of rural free delivery and telephone service. The Rural 

 Free Delivery Service was inaugurated in 1900 through the hearty 

 cooperation of the Post Office Department. Owing to the prosperous 

 condition of the farming interests, the telephone is rapidly sup- 

 planting the rural card distribution. Through the cooperation of 

 the telephone companies, the telephone has become, next to the daily 

 newspapers, the most extensive and expeditious means of dissemi- 

 nating the daily Aveather information; by this means more than 

 5,000,000 telephone subscribers get the forecasts daily. Moving- 



