94 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XVII, No. 3, 



Some years ago I chanced to be in a geologic conference, 

 dealing with this phase of geology, in two sessions of which 

 rathering striking statements were made, each by a man whose 

 name and works are well known by scientists now before me. 

 One man was tremendously impressed with the great size of the 

 earth and the multiplicity of forms upon it. He said, "The 

 earth is too big, I can't comprehend it all. I'm staggered by its 

 display of variety; its maze of form and tangle of process." 

 The other, approaching his problem more from the philosophic 

 side and carrying fewer years, said, "Why, the present world is 

 too small. I can't find nearly all the forms I can think of. 

 I can imagine a plenty of forms I've never seen in any part of 

 the world." Each lament points a finger in a direction which 

 our physiographic research must take. The one must see all 

 the world and find, record, and describe all the physiographic 

 forms which occur, and even must uncover the past physio- 

 graphies (for each geologic horizon has had its physiography 

 as truly as it has had its distribution of sea and land), and from 

 these ancient surfaces describe the features. The other must 

 systematize the work of the first, classify the forms, put them 

 into categories, resolve them into systems related to processes 

 and stages in the process, devise formulae for describing great 

 groups of them at once and thus make the comprehension of 

 the whole world possible. Then must follow chapters of 

 explanation for the types and groups. 



10. In the field of Geography, whither some of our geologists 

 have now gone to work, and whence came many of the pure 

 geologists in days gone by, there is something yet to do. Geog- 

 raphy is defined as that phase of science which deals with the 

 relations existing between the physical and the cultural, between 

 soil, topography, resource and climate on the one hand, and man 

 and his activities on the other. The field has been cultivated, 

 but poorly, by the historian and economist. It has been 

 cultivated also a little by the geologist. I believe the latter 

 has really the best equipment, but for the most effective work 

 in this field the worker must have a good working knowledge, 

 both of Physical Geology and Geography, and of History, 

 Economics, Sociology, and Industries. But little work has 

 been done in this whole field. A few score of workers are 

 pursuing problems and the good things are beginning to come 

 to light. While Geography has its roots in both the earth 



