248 



Departmental Committee, [july, 1904.] 



prevented the total recorded precipitation from being much 

 more than i| in. above the mean, whereas 1903, with an 

 average fall of 40*6 in. throughout Great Britain, was 8^ in. 

 above the normal figure. The number of days on which rain 

 fell was greater in 1903 than in 1879, but the average 

 temperature of 1879 was practically throughout the year much 

 lower. 



[Cd. 213 1. Price 2s. gd.] 



The Departmental Committee* appointed in 1902 to inquire 

 as to the administration by the Meteorological Council of the 

 Parliamentary grant, and to report whether 

 Departmental any changes in its apportionment were 



C °I^^OPofo^cal ie desirable in the interests of meteorological 

 Office. science, have recently issued their report, 



which contains several recommendations of 

 an administrative character, including a proposal to place the 

 Meteorological Office under the control of the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries. 



It is interesting to note that the report states that farmers 

 residing in districts where timely information can be obtained 

 are learning to take advantage of the weather forecasts, and 

 although there are difficulties of distribution over wide agri- 

 cultural areas where, moreover, physical conditions modify the 

 application of forecasts, three witnesses from different agricultural 

 districts, remote from each other, gave evidence estimating the 

 proportion of accuracy in weather forecasts at from 70 to 90 per 

 cent. The committee regret that no effort seems to have been 

 made on the part of agricultural societies to co-operate in the 

 dissemination of information of this kind. 



* Report, Cd. 2123, Price 2\d. Minute; of Evidence, Cd. 2124, Price is. 



