REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 185 



PUBLICATIONS. 



With the great industrial developments of recent years has come 

 a better knowledge of the dependence of most enterprises upon 

 weather changes and climatological conditions. To meet the 

 demands for information arising from a recognition of this fact it has 

 become necessary to issue many climatological publications. Prior 

 to about 1896 these were decidedly meager in contents, but since that 

 time the introduction of printing facilities at a number of the more 

 important stations has enabled the preparation of elaborate reports, 

 which have rapidly increased in circulation with each succeeding 

 year. 



The most important of these is the Monthly Weather Review, con- 

 taining statistics of weather conditions for more than 4.000 different 

 points in the United States; the monthly edition of separates of the 

 review now exceeds 14,000 copies. 



The annual reports of the chief of bureau contain condensed sum- 

 marized data for the year from all observation stations, together 

 with charts and tables of many of the important elements. 



The National Weather Bulletin summarizes the weather conditions 

 for eacli week during the crop-growing season and for each month 

 during the remainder of the year. 



The snow and ice bulletins issued during the winter months indi- 

 cate the protection afforded the cereals and grasses l^y the snow cover 

 and furnish data regarding ice in the principal rivers and harbors 

 of the country. 



Monthly reports on the snowfall in the mountain States are issued 

 during the winter for the benefit of irrigation and water-power 

 interests, and daily bulletins of the weather over the great cereal 

 and cotton-growing States during the period of growth and harvest 

 are given wide distribution. 



Lastly may be mentioned the summaries of climatological data 

 for lOG district sections of the United States, having the data arranged 

 in convenient form for the use of hydraulic engineers, water users, 

 and agriculturists. Nearly 300,000 copies of these summaries have 

 been printed in response to the numerous demands. 



The total number of climatological publications and reports issued 

 yearly now exceeds 1,000,000 copies. 



INSTRUMENTAL EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS. 



At the present time more than 200 stations, maintained for regu- 

 lar telegraphic reports, are equipped with the instruments essential 

 to complete meteorological observatiohs, while a number of special 

 stations established to carry out particular lines of research have 

 also been supplied with the instruments essential to their work. The 

 structural details of most of the instruments have been modified and 



