46 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



terms with the landowners, to take lands under condemnation 

 proceedings. 1 



The Adirondack plateau is a rugged, rocky region, sparsely 

 populated, and worthless for agriculture. Its chief value lies in 

 a complete utilization of such natural resources as attach to its 

 unparalleled water-yielding capacity. From this point of view it 

 may easily become an important factor in the future development 

 of New York. To insure this result, the water yield of every 

 stream of the region needs to be conserved by reservoir systems. 



DATA OF CLIMATE I1V NEW YORK 



Climate may be defined as the atmospheric conditions affecting 

 life, health and comfort, and including temperature, moisture, 

 prevailing winds, pressure, etc. 



The climatic data of New York have been accumulating for 

 over seventy-five years. In 1825 the Board of Regents organized 

 a systematic service at over fifty ischools and academies in the 

 State. This is noteworthy as being the first important attempt 

 made in this country towards the investigation of local climate. 

 In 1854-59 the Smithsonian Institution began the distribution of 

 meteorological instruments throughout the State and a large num- 

 ber of observations were taken, some of them by private parties, 

 from 1826-1875. The work of the Board of Regents was discon- 

 tinued in 1863, although weather records were maintained at the 

 military posts at Sackett Harbor, Plattsburg and in New York 

 harbor, as well as by independent observers. From 1871 to about 

 1874 stations were established by the United States Signal Service 

 at Buffalo, Rochester, Oswego, Albany and New York city, and 

 in 1895 at Binghamton. In 1903 a station was established at 

 Syracuse. 



The State Meteorological Bureau was organized in 1889, and 

 for ten years, in consideration of the number of observations, the 

 records are the most satisfactory thus far made. In 1899 this 

 bureau passed under the control of the Department of Agriculture 



l The State holdings in the Adirondack region up to the year 1902 may he 

 determined by reference to a Map of the Adirondack Forest and Adjoining 

 Territory as issued by the Forest, Fish, and Game Commission in 1902. 



