272 METEOROLOGY IN RUSSIA. 



thorn most useful, and also to place them within reach of every 

 stiuleut of meteorology. This is generally recognized by all men of 

 science in Europe, and they would establish a similar system of publi- 

 cations if only the money could be procured to defray the expense. In 

 the present position of central and western Europe this is very difQcult, 

 as the expenditure for military operations has increased to the utmost, 

 and the governments are very economical in their appropriations for 

 scientific purposes. Happily Eussia is now in a better condition, and 

 can afford to devote more means to the cultivation of science and other 

 truly useful purposes. 



We have seen that the system of publication adapted in Eussia is com- 

 mendable. The other points of the system are far from being as good. 

 (1.) There are too few stations in many parts of the country, especially in 

 the North and iu Siberia. (2.) The stations are too seldom visited, and 

 their instruments compared with standards. (3.) The practical applica- 

 tions of meteorology are lost sight of by the physical observatory. The 

 inconvenience arising from the too great distance of the stations from 

 the central observatory has already been recognized. Wild proposed to 

 have branch central observatories iu the university towns, and some 

 other principal cities of the empire, the director of which would each 

 have the supervision of a part of the country. The directors of these 

 observatories would inspect the stations as often as possible, and com- 

 pare their instrument with standards. The central physical observatory 

 at St. Petersburg would have to determine as to the system of ob- 

 servation and registration to be adopted, and to reduce, discuss, and 

 publish the observations from all parts of Eussia. It was proposed to 

 have such branch observatories iu Moscow, Kasau, Charkof, Kiev, 

 Odessa, Dorpat, Warsaw, and Helsingfors, Wilna, Tiflis, Irkutsk, Tasch- 

 kend, and Pekin which would complete the system. At Tiflis the system 

 is in operation, as the director of the observatory at this place has the 

 control of theobservationsmadeintheCaucasian provinces, inspects their 

 instruments, &c., and sends their observations, after discussion, to Peters- 

 burg to be published. Unfortunately this system of centres could not 

 be fully realized for want of means. The principal reason why the me- 

 teorological system of Eussia, so excellent in many respects, cannot be 

 completed as was intended, is that meteorology has not been practically 

 applied iu Eussia, and the observatory has not interested the people at 

 large in its principles and importance. This is true to such an extent 

 that very few, even in St. Petersburg, have an idea of the existence 

 of a central physical observatory. Indeed the notion is prevalent that 

 meteorology is a part of the operations of the astronomical observatory 

 of Pulkowa ; this being the case, a much less number of observers are 

 willing to do the work imposed by the regulations of the government, 

 and for which they are not paid, because they do not have a definite no- 

 tion of what becomes of their work when it is sent to St. Petersburg. 

 Some of the former observers have refused to undertake the greater 



