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U.S. FOREST SERVICE. 



'•J O I X. I 



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RESEARCH NOTE LS-18 



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LAKE STATES FOREST EXPERIMENT 



-- 76 ^n 



STATION ;-U/S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



-jfA Simple Weather Instrument Shelter 

 for Plant Disease Investigations. 



A. description of a simple, low-cost, weath- 

 er instrument shelter that has been used in 

 epidemiological studies of the University of 

 Wisconsin, the University of Florida (Ever- 

 glades Experiment Station), and the Lake 

 States Forest Experiment Station is pre- 

 sented here in response to requests for the 

 design and specifications of this shelter. 

 Between 50 and 75 of the shelters are in 

 use today, but no description has ever been 

 published, although it has been mentioned in 

 previous publications. 1 2 



The advantages of this shelter are low 

 cost, small size, light weight, ease of transport 

 and storage, and versatility of use. Because 

 of the shorter distance from the floor to the 

 top of the instrument chamber, a thinner lay- 



1 Van Arsdel, Eugene Parr. Climatic factors af- 

 fecting the distribution of white pine blister rust 

 in Wisconsin. Ph. D. thesis, Univ. Wis., Madison. 

 1954. 



2 Van Arsdel E. P., A. J. Riker, T. F. Kouba, V. E. 

 Suomi, and R. A. Bryson. The climatic distribu- 

 tion of blister rust on white pine in Wisconsin. 

 U.S. Forest Serv., Lake States Forest Expt. Sta., 

 Sta. Paper 87, 34 pp. 1961. 



er of air can be measured than in shelters 

 with taller chambers. They can be made by 

 low-cost laborers in slack seasons rather than 

 by cabinetmakers or carpenters. The ma- 

 terials listed cost about $17 for one shelter. 

 Labor costs are variable, depending on the 

 ability of the worker and the number of shel- 

 ters made. With systematic cutting, one man 

 can build three shelters with 2 days' labor 

 spaced over a week to allow for paint drying. 

 Nine shelters can be built with less than 3 

 man-days of labor. Seven of the shelters will 

 fit into a sedan delivery or panel truck. With 

 removable legs in sockets, seven will fit in the 

 trunk and back seat of a sedan. A man can 

 carry two shelters a half mile with ease. 



The shelter shown in figure 1 is the 

 simplest form that has been used. Several 

 modifications not shown include: inserted, 

 removable legs so the shelter can be stored 

 and transported more easily; longer legs to 

 make the height of the shelter conform to 

 that of a standard U.S. Weather Bureau shel- 

 ter; and a hinged front, opening forward, so 



F-500446 and 500447 

 Figure 1. — The instru- 

 ment shelter in use. 



MAINTAINED AT ST. PAUL \'\ M I N N E^OTA^ IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 



