532 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



It was found that precipitation was most frequent at this point when it was to the 

 west of the central low and most infrequent when it was to the southeast of the 

 center. "From this distribution of precipitation it is evident that if forecasts were 

 made on the supposition that precipitation is greatest on the southeast side of the 

 central low, a large percentage of the predictions would announce the stormy weather 

 ahead of time. For it would often happen that the center of the low would have to 

 move east some two or three hundred miles before it would bring up that tract, 

 where rains and snow are actually most frequent." 



A similar study of data for other regions of the United States (the southwest 

 plains, the Northwest, the upper Missouri valley, and Detroit and Buffalo) shows 

 "clearly that the area of the greatest rain and snowfall is not in the same position 

 with regard to the centers of low areas in different climatic regions. In every cast- 

 it is eccentric and lies to the west, northwest, north or northeast, in the cases studied, 

 but in no instance to the southeast." 



The influence of eclipses on the movement of the atmosphere, W. de Fon- 

 vielle and P. Borde (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris'], 140 (1905), Xo. 13, pp. 901, 

 902). — Discusses Clayton's work on this subject published in Memoirs of Harvard 

 College, Vol. XLIIL 



The pioneer forecasters of hurricanes, W. M. Drum (Havana, Cuba: Observer 

 tori/ of BeUn, 1905, pp. 29). — A brief review of the meteorological work of the 

 Observatory of Belen in Havana, especially with reference to the forecasting of hur- 

 ricanes in which, it is claimed, this institution was the pioneer. 



Lunar influences, C. Flammariox (Bui. Mens. Off. Renseig. Agr. [Paris], 4 (1905), 

 No. 8, pp. 948-950). — The results with peas, beans, beets, carrots, leeks, onions, pota- 

 toes, and other vegetables planted in different phases of the moon were inconclusive as 

 to the influence of lunar radiation on vegetation. The observations are to be con- 

 tinued through a series of years. 



On the influence of climatic factors on the development of plants, V. Ivanov 

 (Zhur. Opuitn. Agron. [Russ. Jour. Expt. Landw.], 6 (1905), Xo. 1, pp. 11-23).— The 

 author points out that in interpreting the results of their studies on the influence of 

 any climatic factor (light, heat, or humidity) on the yield, investigators as a rule 

 base their conclusions on a comparison of the curves of the changes of the factor 

 under consideration with the curves of the changes in yields, the remaining factors 

 being ignored. Such a method can hardly be considered as scientific and does not 

 give positive results. 



The author describes a method which, in his opinion, is more reliable. This is 

 based upon a consideration of observations on all climatic factors — mean tempera- 

 ture, precipitation, humidity of the air, soil moisture, hours of sunshine, etc. — dur- 

 ing a number of years, compared with the total yields for the same period, as well 

 as the increase in weight of the plants during certain intervals of time. It is also of 

 importance to know r the normal rates of increase of weight of plants at different 

 stages of growth under controlled conditions as determined in laboratory experi- 

 ments. P. FIREMAN. 



Investigations on the chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation 

 as dependent upon meteorological factors, A. Posxjakow {Zhur. Opuitn. Agron. 

 [Russ. Jour. Expt. Landw.], 5 (1904), Xo. 6, pp. 740-788; abs. in Centbl. Agr. Chun.. 

 34 (1905), Xo. 5, pp. 289, 290). — Systematic studies of the chemical composition 

 (nitrous acid, nitric acid, ammonia, and sodium chlorid) of atmospheric precipitation, 

 made at the magnetic-meteorological observatory of the University of Odessa during 

 the period from April 1 to December 31, 1903, are reported. 



The investigations included also studies of the influence of the direction and 

 velocity of the wind on the frequency, amount, and composition of the rain, snow, 

 dew, frost, etc. Dews were most frequent preceding a rainy period, but the heaviest 

 dews followed such periods. The larger proportion of the dews occurred when the 



