70 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



REPORT OF THE MICHIGAN WEATHER SERVICE. 



To the State Board of Agriculture : 



I beg to submit the following brief report of the Weather Service for 

 the year ending June 30, 1903: 



The work of this bureau has been carried forward on lines similar to 

 those of the year preceding. 



We have in operation 122 voluntary observation stations making a 

 daily record of the temperature extremes, precipitation, cloudiness and 

 wind direction. In addition to this there are nine regular Weather Bu- 

 reau Stations, making altogether 131 places from which reports are 

 received. This meteorological data is becoming more valuable to the 

 people every year because it is being more generally used and the public 

 is beginning to find out that it ean be applied to many uses. This office 

 is constantly in demand for data of various kinds and for various pur- 

 poses. Several times during the past year it has been used in court in 

 connection with lawsuits. The greatest difficulty experienced in keeping 

 up the observation work at the 122 voluntary observation stations is the 

 fact that the work is done daily by men who receive absolutely no remu- 

 neration, except such publications and seed distribution as this office has 

 at its disposal. Nevertheless, the work is highlj^ creditable. 



The Weekly Climate and Crop Bulletin, which is published during the 

 planting, growing and harvesting seasons, continues to grow in favor 

 with the public and is being put to a broader and more comprehensive use 

 than ever before. As a matter of information to the individual farmer it 

 is of great benefit because it informs him regarding farm work and the 

 condition of crops in other localities. It, in a way, is an advertisement 

 for the State of Michigan because it gives weekly a summary for each 

 county of the various crops grown there. When used in connection with 

 the statistical reports issued by the Secretary of State's office, it is of 

 great value to buyers of all kinds of farm product's. The Secretary of 

 State's office furnishes the acreage and the previous year's production of 

 all the staple products by counties. The Weekly Bulletin issued by the 

 weather service gives the current condition of all staple crops and together 

 they point out to the buyer where the best buying can be done. 



The monthly and annual publications are published in the same style 

 and form that has been followed for some years back. The data is all dis- 

 played in detail and tabulated homogeneously with the reports published 

 in other states of the Union so that tlie climate can be readily compared 

 with any other part of the country. These reports have a good circulation 

 and are widely sought for. 



The distribution of the daily forecasts is being rapidly forwarded by 

 the rural telephone lines, which are rapidly spreading out over the State. 

 Our present scheme is to telegraph the daily forecast at Government 

 expense to the exchange centers of these rural telephone companies on 

 their guarantee to disseminate them regularly, promptly and impartially 

 to their rural patrons. This enables us to get our forecasts before a large 

 number of farmers before noon, the forecast covering the period of "to- 

 night and tomorrow." The telephone exchanges, as a rule, have been very 



