loo General A. W. Greely — Geography of the Air. 



covered the entire United States with a fuUness and jjerfectiun 

 of detail unknown over any other equally extensive area on the 

 face of the globe. 



It is believed that no branch of meteorological or climatic in- 

 vestigation has l)een neglected by the army administration of the 

 Weather bureau, and the character and reliability of the work 

 thus done is sul)mitted witii confidence that it will stand the test 

 of investigation and discussion as well as that of any other de- 

 partment of natural science througli a period of equal length in 

 its organization, development and transition upAvards. 



One broad field opens up to the Weather bureau under its 

 happy organization, freed from the heavy burden of conflicting 

 duties foreign to scientific work, and in this field of the relation of 

 weather and climate to agricultural productions the prospects for 

 great usefulness is possible. This field the army administration 

 made unavailing efforts to cover through cooperation with the 

 department of agriculture, but to a bureau of its own this depart- 

 ment will no longer maintain an indifi'erent attitude sucli as was 

 displayed toward the army. 



In its development in this and in all directions, and in the 

 efforts of its professors and advocates to place meteorology 

 among the acknowledged and exact sciences, the United States 

 Weather bureau has no more interested or friendly sympathizers 

 than the ofiicers of the army who have contributed l\y their 

 labors to the perfection of the splendid, practical system on 

 which this bureau now rests. 



