FRUIT NOTES 



April 19^5 



EXPIANATION OF THE U.S. WEATHER BUREAU'S AGRICULTURAL FORECAST 

 FOR NEW ENGLAND t AI^O DEFINITIONS OF TERtIg USED IN WEATHER FORECASTS. 



I vfant to urge each county office to have this information duplicated and sent 

 to all commodity nailing lists. 



During April, I.Iay and June this information will be of particular use to fruit 

 and vegetable growers. The definition of terms regularly used by the Bureau in its 

 daily forecasts should be of interest to all readers of county publications and to 

 many others as well. 



U.S» WEATHER BUREAU ACaUCULTURAL FORECAST PROGRAM IN NEW ENGIAKD 



The purpose of this program is to provide special forecasts for agriculture in 

 order to give the farmer the weather information he needs for planning and conducting 

 his operations. These forecasts are "tailored" to particular operations such as 

 maple sugar production^ fruit-tree spraying, crop planting, spraying, dusting or 

 harvesting, frost protection and the like» 



The U«S,Vifeather Bureau forecast center at East Boston issues detailed agricul- 

 tural forecasts every v/eekday morning for Inclusion on the early farm radio programs. 

 These forecasts cover the New England area wliich has been divided into convenient 

 "weather" zones. They are also made available to local Vifeather Bureau Offices in 

 each state and are used as a basis for specialized local forecasts which they issue 

 for use on special farm programso 



The "weather" zones used at present are: 



Eastern llassachusetts - from southern tip of Maine south to Cape, and inland 



15-20 miles. 

 South Central N.E. - Most of Conn., R.I., central Mass., including Conn. 



Valley. 

 Berkshires - highlands in western Conn., lilass,, ard southern Vt. 

 North Central N.E, - southern N.H. except near coast, southeastern Vt, 

 Northern Vermont - northern half of state. 

 Northern N.Hj - northern half of state, 

 J.Iaine - subdivided by special local forecast areas. 



Radio provides the most adequate means of disseminating these agricultural 

 forecasts. If a radio farm program director decides he does not wish to read these 

 special agricultural forecasts, there is little ttie Weather Bureau or other federal, 

 state or county employees can do to change his mind. The people who use tliese fore- 

 casts and find them helpful are the ones v/ho can bring pressure on radio stations and 

 farm program directors, VJrite, call or see them and emphasize your desire to hear 

 those special agricultural forecasts. 



Ellsworth H, Wheeler 

 Extension Entomologist 



•^nore- 



