DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 225 



oil ri'oiii wbich most of the lighter oils have been extracted leaving a 

 large amount of heavy tar oil. Contaius some creosote oil. 

 East Lansing, Mich., Jime oO, 1916. 



MICHIGAN WEATHER SERVICE OPERATIONS FOR YEAR 



ENDING JUNE 30TH, 191G. 



'-} 



The general policy of the service has continued without any material 

 change during the past year. The number of cooperative observation sta- 

 tions at the close of the year was 129. Besides this there are 12 regular 

 AVeather Bureau stations, making a total of 141 places where meteoro- 

 logical records are maintained. 



The work of the cooperative observers is as a whole very commendable. 

 The service has a number of men who have taken observations for over 

 25 years ; more that have reported for 20 years or more, and a large num- 

 ber that have been cooperating for 10 years or more. 



All equipment is of standard type and each station is fully equipped 

 with a regulation outfit. 



I can repeat with more emphasis, my remarks of one year ago in stat- 

 ing that the records are more useful and the demand for them becom- 

 ing greater as time passes. 



The agricultural interests are beginning to learn that in a great meas- 

 ure they must adapt their crops not only to the soil — but to the climate, 

 instead of trying to adapt the climate to the crops. This is paricularly 

 true in the northern portions of the Lower Peninsula. Many farmers 

 are trying to raise crops up there that the Weather Bureau records 

 surely indicate cannot as a rule be brought to maturity. 



Our records of the average last killing frost in spring and the first 

 killing frost in autumn, mark the boundaries of the growing season, and 

 are being studied more and more. 



With the extension of the rural telephone, the farmer is also learning 

 to use more than ever before, the forecasts of the Weather Bureau. When 

 it is remembered that 85 per cent or more of these forecasts are cor- 

 rect, it must be admitted that in the long run they are of immense prac- 

 tical value during the planting and harvesting seasons, and of great in- 

 terest during the growing period. 



The time is surely coming M^hen man will study all factors with care 

 before endeavoring to employ nature to give him a livelihood. Large 

 tracts of land in the northern part of the State will yield much hay, 

 much fodder corn and much oats, which in turn can be used to advan- 

 tage in the stock and dairying business. It has always amazed me that 

 Michigan will import butter and cheese from Denmark, when our own 

 State offers such great possibilities for making butter and cheese. 



Active cooperation has been rendered to the Grand Rapids & Indiana 

 Railroad Company in connection with their demonstration farms at 

 Howard City, and some other northerly points. This railroad corpo- 

 ration is endeavoring to show what and how profitable crops can be 

 grown, not only in the northerly parts of the State, but in the light sandy 

 20 



