AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 267 



REPORT OP METEOROLOGIST. 



President Fernald, Meteorologist to the Station. 



MAINE EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Lat. 44°, 54\ 2" N. Long. 68% 40\ IV' W. 



For twenty years meteorological observations have been taken 

 at the Maine State College, and summaries of the same have been 

 published yearly in the College reports. These summaries relate 

 to the larger part of the phenomena regarded as meteorological. 



It is not the purpose of the Experiment Station to duplicate this 

 work of the College, but rather to make a somewhat careful study 

 of certain meteorological conditions, an acquaintance with which 

 cannot fail to be of value to those engaged in practical agriculture. 



The first problem of the nature referred to, to which the Station 

 has addressed itself, is a determination of the percentage of 

 moisture in forest as compared with that in open field. 



The hygrometers used for this purpose were manufactured by 

 H. J. Green of New York, and were read by Eobert H. Fernald 

 of Orono, who has also been observer of the other meteorological 

 instruments belonging to the Station. 



Hygrometer No. 1 was placed in a wooden stand constructed 

 for thermometrical instruments and located in the open field remote 

 from buildings. Hygrometer No. 2 also was enclosed in a 

 wooden box, perforated to allow a free circulation of air, and 

 located also in the open field. Hygrometer No. 3 was also 

 enclosed in a perforated box attached to a tree in a moderately 

 dense forest. Hygrometer No. 4 was placed in a similar box 

 attached to a tree in a portion of the forest a little more open than 

 that in which No. 3 was located, but near which was a running 

 brook except during the driest part of the summer. 



Each hygrometer was about four feet above the surface of the 

 ground. Readings were taken three times daily, at 7 A. M., at 

 1 P. M., and at 7 P. M., local time, commencing April 5, 1889 

 and continuing to Nov. 1, 1889. The monthly averages are given 

 in the following tables : 



