630 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



able to construct a daily synoptic weather chart from simultaneous 

 readings taken in free air at an altitude of not less than one mile above 

 the earth." The success iii this line has been snch that it is probable 

 that in a short time there will be "not less than 20 stations placed 

 between the Eocky Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, taking daily 

 readings at an elevation of 1 mile or more." 



"We shall then construct a chart from the high-level readings obtained at these 20 

 stations and study the same in connection with the surface chart made at the same 

 moment. Being thus able to map out not only the vertical gradients of temperature, 

 humidity, pressure, and wind velocity, hut the horizontal distribution of these 

 forces on two levels, it is hoped to better understand the development of storms and 

 cold waves and eventually improve the forecasts of their future course, extent, and 

 rate of movement." 



Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau for 1897, "W. L. 



Moore ( JJ. S. Dept. Ayr., Weather Bureau Doc. 139, pp. 28). — A sum- 

 mary report of the operations of the Weather Bureau during the fiscal 

 year ending June 30, 1897, covering the following topics: Comparison 

 of cost and efficiency of the Weather Service, 1883-'81 and 1896-'97; 

 appropriations for 1898; forecasts (destructive storms of the year, flood 

 warnings, and flood in the lower Mississippi); hydrography (descrip- 

 tion of the river system); cold-wave and frost warnings; distribution 

 of forecasts and warnings; distribution of weather statistics by maps; 

 climatic work, cotton, corn, and wheat region services; publications; 

 original investigations and reports; climatology, studies of sunstroke 

 and weather conditions; rainfall of the United States; some climatic 

 features of the arid region; storms, storm tracks, and weather fore- 

 casting; aerial work; improvements in kite construction; the object of 

 kite flying; and cloud work. 



Instructions for use of aneroid barographs on the Great Lakes, W. L. 

 MOORE (U. S. Dept. Agr., Weather Bureau Doc. 13.', pp. 7, fig. 1). — The aneroid baro- 

 graph is described and directions are given for its use. 



Weather record for 1896 at Newport, Arkansas (Arkansas Sta. Bui. 46, p. 

 100). — A tabular record is given of maximum and minimum temperatures and rain- 

 fall for each doy of the 5 months, April-August, 1896. 



WATER— SOILS. 



Soil moisture during the crop season of 1896, M. Whitney and 

 R. S. Hosmer (/'. 8. Dept. Agr., Division of Soils Bui. 9, pp. 23, (Ignis. 

 12). — This is a continuation of work begun in 1895.' "In a number of 

 cases tbe records were continued in the same places as in the previous 

 year, but in order to extend the preliminary investigations over a wide 

 range of soil conditions, some of the observations were discontinued 

 and other areas were taken up." The method of determining moisture 

 was the same as that used in 1895. 2 The results, however, are reported 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of Soils Buls. 1,2, and :! (E. S. R., 7, pp. 483, 847). 

 - U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of Soils Bui. 1 (E. S. R., 8, p. 481;. 



