1898.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 45 



REPOKT OF THE METEOROLOGIST. 



JOHN E. OSTRANDER. 



The work of the meteorological department during the 

 past year has been in the main a continuation of that of 

 previous years, with such minor changes as, after due con- 

 sideration, have seemed advisable. The observations for 

 temperature are now all taken in the ground shelter on the 

 campus. The publication of the maximum and minimum 

 temperatures taken in the observatory shelter was discon- 

 tinued last year, owing to their unreliable character. For 

 the same reason, the observations themselves were discon- 

 tinued early in April the present year. 



The usual bulletins, giving a summary of the records and 

 weather for each month, have been published. An annual 

 summary will be issued as soon as the records for the year 

 are completed. 



No material additions have been made to the e(|uipment 

 of the department during the year. 



Arrangements have been made to furnish the New Eng- 

 land Weather Bureau with the weekly snow reports, as was 

 done last year. 



In co-operation with Professor Whitney of the Division 

 of Soils, United States Department of Agriculture, this 

 department installed one of his instruments (kindly loaned 

 by the Department at Washington) for the electrical deter- 

 mination of moisture in the soil. Observations were taken 

 from the latter part of June until early in November. The 

 records, however, are incomplete for the period, owing to 

 breaks in the circuit and other causes which made the in- 

 struments fail to work at times. The readings taken were 

 sent weekly to the Department at Washington. The Di- 

 vision of Foods and Feeding of this station made some 



