SECTION F 

 PROTECTION FROM WEATHER 



CHAPTER XXXI 



THE UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU 

 How is it possible to foretell the weather ? 



Use of weather forecasts. Value to fruit growers. In 

 the springtime there is danger that the blossoms of fruit 

 trees may be destroyed by late frosts. In some orchards 

 arrangements are made for lighting fires quickly in order to 

 save the orchards. When there is danger that a frost may 

 occur, the United States Weather Bureau sends notice to 

 the fruit growers. They then build fires and are thus able 

 to save their crops by receiving this warning. Sometimes 

 the value of the fruit thus saved in a single night in one 

 state has been as high as $100,000 ; and during a year 

 throughout the whole country it has been as much as $3,000,- 

 ooo. As we learned in Chapter XXII, a three-million-dollar 

 fruit crop was saved in Colorado through a warning of 

 approaching frost sent the fruit growers by the United 

 States Weather Bureau. In the state of California alone, 

 fruit valued at $14,000,000 has been saved in a single year 

 by warnings of cold waves issued by the Weather Bureau. 



Protection of skips. Warnings of severe storms are sent 

 to the leading ports on the oceans and Great Lakes. Ship 

 owners are thus able to regulate the times of sailing of the 



503 



