Meteorology am> Agbioultubb . 



489 



Of the two remaining forms of assistance referred to above, 

 the records given in the weekly and monthly weather reports, 

 together with the summaries which appear in appendices, cover 

 such data as temperature fat several stations, ground temperature 

 and temperatures of the earth at depths of one and four feet 

 are recorded), rainfall, sunshine and wind ; and deviations from 

 the normal are, where possible, noted. To the more scientific 

 agriculturist who may wish to correlate some phenomenon in the 

 growth or health of crops with weather conditions such informa- 

 tion, together with the weekly, monthly and quarterly averages 

 given in the Book of Normals, is of obvious value. The Book 

 of Normals is issued in three sections ; the fourth, not yet pub- 

 lished, will give for selected stations the means an^. extremes of 

 temperature in greater detail, and also the frequency of days of 

 gale, frost, snow, snow-lying and hail. 



The Meteorological Office has not hitherto been in a position 

 tc accomplish much direct research in agricultural meteorology. 

 Sir Napier Shaw has. however, carried out several studies, which 

 have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, 

 on the influence of rainfall on. and periodicity in, the yield of 

 wheat, and the Computer's Handbook, issued by the Meteoro- 

 logical Office, contains in Section V, part 3, a number of sum- 

 maries of papers dealing with the connection between weather 

 and crops. 



As regards the needs of the practical farmer the Committee 

 is not of opinion that more could be done at present than is being 

 done ; there is no doubt that as and when the progress of science 

 shall render it possible, the Meteorological Office will enlarge 

 the assistance given. 



Research. — The research worker is in a different category, and 

 while it is scarcely to be expected that his specialised and detailed 

 requirements could be anticipated by published records, every 

 assistance possible, will, the Committee is assured, be afforded 

 him by the Meteorological Office. 



One special department of such research, to which the Com- 

 mittee gave special consideration, was that of plant pathology. 

 Work already done points to a distinct relation between weather 

 and insect and fungus pests. Potato Blight, for instance, and 

 Corky Scab are associated with wet. mildews with dry summers. 

 Unfortunately the biologists' records are as yet very inferior in 

 statistical accuracy to those of the meteorologist. Until, there* 

 fore, a sound statistical method lias been elaborated for recording 



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