376 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. AUOUST, 1906
PROFESSOR HENRY’S CLIMATOLOOY OF THE UNITED STATES ”.’ In a paper entitled “A Climatological Dictionary for the
United States”, communicated to the Eighth International Geo-
graphic Congress, in 1904, Prof. A. J. Henry, of the United
States Weather Bureau, announced that the Bureau was pre-
paring for publication a volume of climatic Statistics for the
United States, embodying the principal data available from
every State and Territory. No large, comprehensive work of
this character, covering the whole of the United States, had
been published since Blodget’s ‘‘ Climatology of the United
States ” ( 1857 ), Coffin’s “ Winds of the Northern Hemisphere ”
(1853) and “Winds of the Globe ” (1876), and Schott’sprecip-
itation tables (ad ed., 1881) and temperature tables (1876).
This work is now in the hands of the printer, and is expected
to appear about the middle of December, 1906.
Introductory chapters discuss the broader features of t>he
climate, the latter term being used in the wide sense that in-
cludes typical as well as average weather, the cyclonic and
anticyclonic control, and something of weather chronology-
notable storms, hot and cold waves, dry and wet seasons, etc.
This section extends to 84 pages, and is written in a style cal-
culated to hold the attention of the general reader as well as
the special student of climatology.
Pages 85-112 comprise summary tables of normal tempera-
ture, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, and wind for regular
Weather Bureau stations.
The remainder of the work, which is not quite all in type at
this writing, will be macle up of the inclivicluttl climatic tables
for 686 stations. The stations are grouped by States, except
that the New England States are treated together, as are Mary-
land and Delaware. The groups, therefore, correspond with
the sections of the Climatological Service of the Weather
Bureau, and the official in charge of each section contributes
a sketch of the climate of hisown district. The climatic data for
each station occupy one page, and comprise uniformly a brief
history and description of the station, a table of monthly,
seasonal, and annual iiieans, and a table giving the dates of
abnormally high and low temperatures that have occurred
during the period of observation.
The volume will contain about 1000 quarto pages, and
upwards of thirty plates.
THE FIRST DAILY WEATHER MAPS FROM CHINA.
Thanks to the public spirit of the great telegraph companies
of the Far East, the observatories of Zi-ka-wei and Hongkong
have for inany years received daily meteorologic*al telegrnrns,
free of charge,’ from a large number of points in C‘hina, Sibe-
ria, Japan, the Philippines, and Indo-China, ancl have thus
been enabled to conduct a very successful storm-warning ser-
vice, which is highly appreciated by the navigators of eastorn
seas. The approach of storiiis is announced by signal at B
number of stations along the China coast, besides bein:: coni-
municated directly by telegraph to such masters of vessels as
request the information. (The increasing estent to which this
service is utilized is shown by the number of telegraphic re-
quests for forecasts received at Zi-ka-wei Observatory from
naval vessels alone, during three recent years; viz.: 1 9 ~1 , 75;
1902, 137; 1903, 184.)
I n addition to its storm-warning service, Hongkong Obser-
vatory has long published a daily weather report, the “C‘hina
Coast Meteorological Register ”, which gives in tabular form the
Henry, Alfred Judson. Climatology of the TTiiited States. 1V:tsh-
ington: Government Printing Office, 1906. (United State6 Weather
Bureau. Bulletin Q. I
In 1899 the director of Hongkong Observatory estimated that the
telegrams furnished gratuitoiibly to that observatory by the Eastern
Extension and Great Northern Telegraph comlmnies would. if paid fur.
amount to W250,OOO a year. The entire aniouut alluwed by the govern-
ment for the maintenance of the observatory is only $7,500 a year.
By C. FITZIIL~H T u ,v n , U. *. Weather Buieau.
observations made at the various reporting stations on the
day of issue, together with a weather synopsis and a forecast.
It remained, however: for Zi-ka-wei Observatory to under-
take the publication of a daily weather map for China. The
first number of this publication is clated July 1, 1906.
This newest of daily weather maps consists of a printed
base chart of eastern Asia, on which are stenciled isobars and
mind arrows, while on the back of the chart appear the nu-
merical returns of observations at the reporting sfations and
a synopsis of the weather conditions throughout the Far East.
The size of the sheet is 9 by 11; inches.
The accompanying chart (fig. 1 ) shows the location of all
stations for which observations are tabulated. It will be seen
that the field of observation eiiibraces, in a general way, the
whole of eastern Asia, inclucling Japan and the Philippine
Idancis. The stations are, however, very unevenly distributed
over this territory. Of the continental stations the great
iiiajority are situated along t,he coast and the Yangtze Valley.
these being mostly stations of the Imperial Maritime Customs,
located at the treaty ports. It is somewhat surprising that
no reports are published from Korea, as excellent stations
nom exist in that country, under the direction of the meteoro-
logical service of Japan. Far to the northwest are the stations
of Tomsk, Irkutsk, TroitHkosavsk, and Chiha, belonging to the
Russian service, which is further represented by the stations
at Vladirostok and NikolaievHk. on the eastern seaboard.
Japan, including Formosa, the Pescndores, etc., is represented
by fourteen stations, while the Philippine Weather Bureau
contributes reports from the three stations a t Aparri, Legaspi,
and Manila.
In most of the inland provinces of China, and in the rast
t,erritories of Tibet, East Turkestan and Mongolia, meteoro-
logical work has hardly yet begun; hence these regions con-
tribute nothing to the Chinese weather map. This lack of
data from the west must be keenly felt by the forecasters of
China, Japan, and the Philippines, as a majority of cyclonic
disturbances on the China coast proceed from the interior of
AUGUST, 1906. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 377
the continent, especially during the winter months.* Ty-
phoons, the chief object of the forecaster’s solicitude in the
Far East, reach China from the eastward, after traversing a
region that is now fairly well under observation; but even
these depressions must be largely conditioned, in their inten-
sity, direction, and rate of progress, by fluctuations in the
pressure to the west of the present field of observation.
WHAT IS RESEARCH’?
The following excellent remarks, by the editor of the Ex-
periment Station Record,’ apply so well to nieteorology that
we take the liberty of quoting them, and inviting our readers
to give us their own ideas as to what constitutes research.
The outlining of plans for agricultural work under the Adams act has
led to greater consideration of what should be regarded a: research in
agriculture. The terms ‘‘ research ” and investigation have heen
used freely in reference to experiment station work, and often mure
broadly than they are employed in science generally. We have fallen
into the habit of speaking of much of the work as in\estigation, whivli
in a strict sense can not be regarded as of that grade. * * * There are several reasons wliirh contribute to this uncertainty in the
use of terms. Our knowledge is not as
well systematized and classified, and the problems for research are not so definitely outlined as they are in the older sciences. Reing a comlio-
site science, it has been built up on the basis of the pure and natural
sciences. It has drawn upon these for many facts, which have been
given a scientific or a practical application in agriculture. Important a3
this application may br. i t iq not always to he regarded as research or
scientific discovery. * * * Again, the needs of agricultural practise have freqnrntly blinded sta-
tion workers, and led them to mistake for investigation, tests and drmon-
strationsor siiuple eiperiments involving no original feature&, but whivh
led to an answer to the fanner’s question. They have heen flooded with
practical questions, and have set out to answer these questions in the
most direct and quickest way. * * * Hence it is that much of our experfmental work has given results which are largely empirical. We find that if we follow a certain pro-
gram of operations we will get a given result quite constantly. * * * The experinienter often sees only the final result, and iq satisfied with
this if it is favorable. The investigator will stri\e to determine the
cause of what he sees and the broader bearings of the resultq of his ex-
periments. This will stimulate him to make investigations into these
problems which will go down to the fundamental facts and enable him
to prove his proposition step by step.
These differences in the use of terms, which have grown up as a result
of circumstances and environment, make it desirahle that we shoalil
discriminate carefully and intelligently in applying the funds under a new act which restricts them to investigation. * * * For example, there was much experimenting upon the use of lime for
land. Applications to some soils gave tieneficial resultq, while on othels
there appeared to be no benefit, and it was thought by some to exhauqt
the soil and to be ill advised. A few years ago this represented the
status of knowledge and experimentation. The iesulte and the practise
were entirely empirical. The lime was usually not needed by the c r o l )~
themsel\es, although i t benefited them, but the purpose it served was
not known, and there was no way of reasoning whether or not in a par- ticular case lime would be helpful or its use advisable. Soil tests were
relied upon for this purpose, and while they might be regariled as e i -
perimeuts, yet in themselves they did not comprise an investigation.
There were research problems which experience and these experi-
merits had suggested, and after a while these problems became the suli-
ject of investigation. The effect of lime in correcting an acid condition
of the soil was observed; the relations of this changed reaction to the
biological factors of the soil were worked out; and gradually fro111 these
and other facts a basis was formed for the philosophy of liming.
Through research the knowledge of this common practise had been
Agriculture is a new science.
2 The relative number of storms reaching the China coast fmm tlir
eastward and the westward is shown tJy the following statistius for the
six years 1893-1898, as given by Father Froc in his *’ rltmosphere i n tlie Far East during the six cold months and .‘Atmosphere in the Far East
during the six warm mclnths.” (Shanghai Meteorological f3ot.irt.y.
Seventh and eighth annual reports.)
‘Issue for June, 1906, pp. 989-933.
made “accurate and precise ”, and this accuracy and precision had been
translated into act.tion ”. * In feeding work the case is often on much the same plane. For example,
we make a comparison of wheat bran and gluten meal for milk produc-
tion. One of these feeds gives the better result, as measured hy the yield and the flnancial returns, but often the inquiry stops there. * * * The real physiological relation of these feeds, or of their respective con-
stituents, to the elalroration of milk remains untouched by such esperi-
ments.
Suppose, again, we feed a lot of steers on heavy rations of corn for
fattening. Humanity says: ‘‘ Shelter them in a warm, coiufortsble
barn ”. They are uncomfort-
able, and it is difficult to keep them up to the high rations. Divide them into two lots, and turn one out into the cold with only a shed to
shelter them from the winter winds. The latter lot does better-is more
thrifty, eats better, and makes lietter gains. Is the (luestion answered?
Too often it stops here. We have the empirical result, but it is sup-
ported by no reason.
Put one of these heavily fed steers into a respiration calorimeter and
we find he gives off heat enough under his heavy (m u feeding to keep
his body warm without artificial protection. The reason has been found. Again, knowledge of coinn~on things has been made accurate and pre-
cise, and may be translated into action. * * * Research is wort.hy of the name ouly as it sets up deflnite ideals or
aims which it strives t,c) attaiu by scientific methods of procedure. This will involve a definite plau of operations, a thorough consideration of
what is known of the subject and its bearings, both practical and scien-
tific, aud should lead the experimenter to learn something of the reasons
fur the results he secures. While the aim should remain fixed, the plan will ofteu have to be modified in detail as the investigation progresses.
But too often there appears to be lacking any well-thought-out 1JlaU or object; this is developed piecemeal and lacks in directness.
There are certain operations which will always be more or less experi-
ment,al, as they will deliend upon a variety of conditions, either indefinite
in extent or combined in such a way as to make the outcome somewhat
uncertain. Such operations cau not proceed with mechanical exactness,
and this very element of uncert,ainty will lend a charin to the work. But the object to be attained and the line of experiment should be matters
of mature consideration. An investigation should presuppose this pre-
liminary.
The line of demarcation between investigation and the lower grades
of inquiry is not always clear and sharp, but the character of the prob-
lem does not determine this. The lowliest and the most common sub-
ject may be a proper matter for real investigation. It is the man in
charge of the work and his mental attitude toward it which determines
whether it shall be a simple test, a oonclusive experiment, or a thorough
investigation. If he has none of the scientific spirit or see8 only the
purely practical phase, his work will stop with comparisons and simple
experiments; but if he has the true spirit of the investigator and is
trained to observe, even though he may not have seen a college class-
room. his results will clmtribute something toward establishing a scieu-
tific fact.
We have been accused in our experimental [agricultural] work of having
the immediately prac,tical results too constantly in mind. The immedi-
ately practical work is important and desirable. It has helped to make
the American stations strong in the confidence of their constituents. It should be continued aud the results carried to t,he farmer in demonstra-
tions. cooperative experiments, and other popular ways. But it is
eclually important to get a t the scientific facts, which have a wider and
more permanent application. Surely there is no conflict between such iuvestigation and the securing of practical results.
THE INTERNATIONAL SEISMOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
The Unitetl States of America, through the Secretary of State,
lately ibdicated its willingness to take part in the above-men-
tionecl international association for the study of the large
earthquakes of the globe. This association has its central
bureau at Strassburg, Germany, Professor Doctor C+. C+erland
being the director, and he submits the following circular for
republication in the RIONTIILT WEATHER REVIEW:
The Central Bureau of the International Seismological Association,
founded in 1903 1.iy the Second Reisiuological Conference, which met in
Strasshurg, is uow coiuplet,ely organized and in full activity.
The central liureau is located in Strassburg (blsace), Schwarzwald-
strasse 10; the uudersigned has the honor to lie its director; the person-
nel consists of two assistants, oue mechanist, and one servant. The workrooms are on the secoud floor of the building, the first story being
occupied by the Imperial German Central Station for Earthquake Inves-
tigation.
The Observatory of the Central Station, which is located near the
Bureau, is furnished with the following instiuments: (1) a Rebeur-
Ehlert triple horizont,al pendulum with photographic register: (2) a two
component Rebeur pendulum with photographic register; (3) a Milue
They appear after a little to resent this.