422 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Supan's classification is considered rational, simple, and satisfactory; Kop- 

 pen's botanical classification is of value, but particularly for students of plant 

 geography ratber than of general climatology. It is stated that this "classifi- 

 cation has the great merit of recognizing the existing differences of climate 

 between east and west coasts, and between coasts and interiors. The coordina- 

 • tion of districts of vegetation and of climate, which this scheme so strikingly 

 emphasizes, is a noteworthy fact in climatology." Hult's classification is not 

 considered to have any advantages over that of Supan. Ravenstein's hygro- 

 thermal types are said to rest upon unsatisfactory data. 



Changes of climate, R. DeC. Ward {Pop. Sci. Mo., 69 {1906), No. 5, pp. ^58- 

 Jj70). — A general discussion of this subject in which the conclusion is reached 

 that there is no sufficient warrant for believing in considerable permanent 

 changes of climate over large areas. An eleven-year period of change has been 

 made out, of more or less certainty for some of the meteorological elements, 

 and a thirty-five-year period has been somewhat more positively determined, but 

 as yet it has not been possible to make practical use of these periodic changes 

 in forecasting. 



" It was formerly believed that climate changes locally, but progressively 

 and permanently. It is now believed that oscillations of climate are limited in 

 time, but occur over wide areas. Finally, it is clear that man. whether by re- 

 forestation or deforestation, by flooding a desert or by draining a swamp, can 

 produce no important or extended modifications of natural climate, which is 

 governed by factors beyond human control." 



Climate [of Alaska], C. Abbe, Jr. {U. S. Gcol. Survey, Prof. Papers No. Jfo, 

 pp. 133-200, pi. 1, map 1). — This is a section of a monograph on the geography 

 and geology of Alaska, summarizing the available records of temperature, pre- 

 cipitation, and casual phenomena which have been published since the appear- 

 ance of Dall and Baker's work in 1879. The climatology of Alaska as a whole 

 and of different districts of the Territory is discussed. 



The work of the Weather Bureau and its relation to transportation, E. H. 

 Bowie {Set. Aincr. .Sep., 62 {1906). No. 1611, pp. 2318. 2ol9). — This is a paper 

 read before the St. Louis Railway Club, which discusses briefly the nature and 

 value of the iiredictions of the Weather Bureau in relation to transportation. 



The public weather service of the German Empire, Grohmann {FUJiliiig's 

 Laiidic. Ztij., o-l {1906), No. 18, pp. 612-616). — This article discusses briefly the 

 uniform weather service which was established for the whole German Empire 

 June 15, lOno, .-uhI which has 14' forecasting centers, namely, Konigsberg, Brom- 

 berg, Breslau, Berlin, Dresden, Magdeburg, Ilmenau, Weilburg, Hamburg, 

 Munich, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Strassburg, and Aix-la-Chapelle. 



Special attention is given to the weather maps and the general conclusion is 

 reached that a wider dissemination of meteorological information is necessary 

 to the understanding and use of these mai)S. 



Meteorological observations at Storrs, and general weather and crop 

 review, W. A. Stocking, Jr. {Connecticut Storns ,S7(/. Rpt. 1905, pp. 215-222). — 

 This is a record of observations on temperature and precipitation during each 

 month of 1904 at Storrs; rainfall during the six months ended October 31. 

 1904, at 20 places in Connecticut ; summary of rainfall for the six months ended 

 October 31 for 20 places in Connecticut during the 15 years 1889-1903 ; monthly 

 mean temperature and monthly precipitation for IB years (1888-1903) ; and 

 dates of last and first killing frosts for 10 years. The total percipitation for the 

 year at Storrs was 40.19 in., 7.24 in. less than the average for the past 1(5 years. 

 The principal deficiency in rainfall occurred in jNIay, July, and November. The 

 mean temperature for the year was 44.8°, 2.2° lower than the average for the 



