112 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
have been adopted in recent years, both in the instrument itself and 
in the method of use. 
In June 1945 special radiation measurements were started at Camp 
Lee, Va., under contract with the Office of the Quartermaster General, 
in connection with their long-range study of the causes for the deteri- 
oration of tents and tent materials. This contract has been renewed 
each year since then, and the work has now extended to include similar 
radiation measurements at Miami, Fla., a wet, sea-level station, and 
at Montezuma, Chile, a dry, high-altitude station. The Observatory 
completed the Camp Lee measurements January 1, 1948, and since 
then they have been continued by the Quartermaster Board at Camp 
Lee, with the Observatory acting in an advisory capacity, and giving 
assistance when difficulties arise. The measurements at Miami, 
begun in December 1947, have continued throughout the present 
fiscal year. Similar radiation measurements and textile exposures 
were begun at Montezuma, Chile, in December 1948, and will continue 
approximately 2 years. Five reports to the Office of the’ Quarter- 
master General were made during the year summarizing,the data 
obtained at Miami and at Montezuma. 
In January 1949, the Director visited the Miami field station, to 
inspect the work in progress. While there he obtained special bolo- 
graphs showing the absorption effects of known quantities of water 
vapor in the atmosphere. Measurements of these bolographs con- 
firmed the correctness of precipitable water curves which Mr. Fowle 
had determined in earlier work at Washington and which have since 
been used many times in our solar-constant program. This work is 
discussed in Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, vol. 111, No. 12, 
soon to be issued. 
(2) DIVISION OF RADIATION AND ORGANISMS 
(Report prepared by Dr. R. B. Withrow) 
The work of the Division for the past year has been concerned 
chiefly with reorganizing and reequipping the laboratories. New 
office space has been established in conjunction with the basement 
laboratories. These offices have been furnished with desks and cases 
and will accommodate a maximum of nine individuals. 
Most of the laboratories have been repainted and are being re- 
equipped with modern lighting facilities. The laboratory furniture 
has been reconditioned and new metal furniture ordered to supplement 
that already available. 
Five rooms are being converted into constant-condition rooms for 
biological experimentation with equipment for controlling the tem- 
perature, humidity, radiation, and nutritional environment. 
