274 PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



spread of forest fires. The tentative efiforts in this new line of 

 work have been very beneficial, if we may judge by the reports 

 from the organized agencies occupied with fighting forest fires, 

 and the Bureau is providing for the extension and better conduct 

 of this important work, which can aid so^ greatly in the con- 

 servation of forest reservations. 



No one has listened with more interest than myself, I believe, 

 to your President's address on the subject of Agricultural Meteor- 

 ology, and Professor Smith's prior work in this field has added 

 distinction to himself and credit to the Weather Bureau as well. 

 It has sometimes been reproachfully represented that the Weather 

 Bureau is behind the times and backward because it has not 

 already occupied the field of Agricultural Meteorology. I am 

 not willing to admit the justification of any such view. I realize, 

 however, that the truth about the matter depends a good deal 

 upon the definition we attach to the expression "Agricultural 

 Meteorology." 



Those present who may happen to be familiar with the 

 responsibilities of legally disbursing the appropriations made by 

 Congress for the maintenance of a Federal bureau realize how 

 important it is that the work for which money is expended is 

 specifically authorized by the language of the law. As a matter 

 of fact the Weather Bureau is a pioneer in the domain of agri- 

 cultural meteorology, but the work has not been conducted under 

 that name. Moreover, owing to special statutory limitations and 

 the administrative classification and organization of the work of 

 the Department of Agriculture, it is quite possible the Weather 

 Bureau may be technically disbarred from engaging in certain 

 lines of work that may well fall within the domain of Agricultural 

 Meteorology. Quoting from our organic law, we find these 

 words : 



The Chief of the Weather Bureau, under the direction of the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture, shall have charge of forecasting the weather * 

 * * ; the reporting of temperature and rainfall conditions for the cot- 

 ton interests ; the display of frost, cold wave, and other signals ; the 

 distribution of meteorological information in the interest of agriculture 

 and commerce, and the taking of such meteorological observations as 

 may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the 



