XVI REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



or principles of marked value to the forecaster will have a special 

 weight in considering the merits of employees of whatever grade for 

 promotion. 



RECENT EXTENSION OF WEATHER SERVICE. 



It is a wonderful picture of atmospheric conditions that is now pre- 

 sented twice daily to the trained eye of the weather forecaster. In 

 addition to the reports from Europe, the Azores, and Bermuda, the 

 field embraces an area extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from 

 the north coast of South America over Mexico, the islands of the West 

 Indies and the Bahamas, northward to the uttermost confines of Cana- 

 dian habitation. It is a panoramic picture of the exact air conditions 

 over this broad area that is twice daily presented to the study of our 

 experts. Hurricanes, cold waves, hot waves, or rain storms are shown 

 wherever present in this broad area. Their development since last 

 report is noted, and from the knowledge thus gained their future 

 course and intensity is quite successfullj^ forecast. Every twelve 

 hours the kaleidoscope changes, and a new graphic picture of weather 

 conditions is shown. Nowhere else in the world can meteorologists 

 find such an opportunity to studj^ storms and atniospheric changes. 



CLIMATE AND CROP WORK. 



The lines of work pursued in previous years by the climate and crop 

 service of the Weather Bureau were continued and extensions and 

 improvements made wherever possible. The cotton-region service has 

 been extended into Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, and arrange- 

 ments have been made for inaugurating a similar work in California, 

 to be known as the fruit and wheat service. 



FORECASTS TO FARMERS BY RURAL FREE DELIVERY. 



Particular attention has been given to the distribution of forecasts 

 by means of the rural free delivery. There are now in operation 365 

 centers, supplying an aggregate of nearlv 12,000 families in the farm- 

 ing districts with the latest weather predictions. This work has 

 become decidedly popular, and we have had the hcart}^ cooperation 

 of the Post-Office Department in making it a success. With some 

 additional appropriation, it is the intention to reach several hundred 

 thousand farmhouses with the daily forecasts and warnings during 

 the coming year. The value of frost and cold-wave warnings to rural 

 communities is beyond estimate, and the rural free delivery of the 

 Post-Office Department places the means at our command of reaching 

 those who can be the most benefited by these warnings. 



