14^ The Smithsoniait Institution 



the Mechanical Arts,"deHvered at an exhibition of the Wash- 

 ington Mechanics' Institute. His classical "Thoughts on 

 Education " were delivered by him on the occasion of his re- 

 tirement from the presidency of the Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Education. Out of the wealth of his obser- 

 vations and reflections in connection with the Smithsonian 

 meteorological work was developed his memoir upon "Meteor- 

 ology in Connection with Agriculture," which was published 

 in the reports of the Commissioner of Agriculture for five 

 successive years, 1855 to 1859. This forms a volume of four 

 hundred pages, by far the most extensive of his published 

 writings, which is still a standard work of reference among 

 students of this science. There was, indeed, no subject in 

 which he took a keener interest than meteorology, and to his 

 practical methods was due the daily weather map, essentially 

 in its present form. How early this interest began is shown 

 by the following extracts from his note-books, hitherto un- 

 printed. 



Under date of February 9, 1849, occurs the following 

 entry : 



" I have had in my mind a fine scheme with the telegraph. 

 Instantaneous observations, on the Aurora, on the thunder- 

 storm, the beginning of storms, etc., etc." 



Also, under date of March 12, the following: 



" Mr. Redfield highly approves plan of using telegraph for 

 meteorological purposes. The following places should be 

 made stations: Portland, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, 

 Baltimore, Washington, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Mo- 

 bile, Pensacola, Augusta, Nashville, New Orleans (northern 

 and southern). 



"Galena, St. Louis, Chicago, Buffalo, Albany, Boston 

 (western). 



