APPLIED GEOLOGY — BROOKS. 



331 



lications nor attempts to appraise their value to science. However, 

 I trust it will serve as a rough measure of the activities of North 

 American geologists. On this basis the diagram clearly records a 

 very rapid increase during the past decade in the ratio of publications 

 dealing with applied geology to the total of geologic literature. 



The figures show that applied geology was at its lowest ebb in 

 1890, when only 12 per cent, and at its highest flood m 1909, when 

 47 per cent of the total publications related to this subject. To 

 consider the j^ercentage of economic papers by decades: In the 

 10 years ending in 1895 the average was 22 per cent; for the following 

 decade, 30 per cent; and for the last 5 years, 44 per cent. 



Another measure of this trend in geology has been obtained by a 

 similar classification of the publications of the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey. The result of this enumeration is shown in a second 

 diagram (fig, 2). In this it will be seen that in 1890 less than 1 

 per cent of the publications issued by the Federal Survey treated 

 of applied geology, and m 1910 the percentage was 98. Considering 

 it by decades : For the 10 years ending in 1895 the average of economic 



Fig. 2.— Peecentage of ioT.a puisucahons of U. S. Geological tJuavEY relating xo applied 



GEOLOGY. 



papers was 11 per cent of the total number of publications; in the 

 foIIo\\nng decade, 71 per cent; and in the last 5 years, 92 per cent. 



These figures are not to be interpreted as evidence that pure science 

 has not been recognized in these publications of the Federal survey. 

 I have classed with the applied geology group all publications which 

 treat in any measure of this subject, though many of them deal chiefly 

 with problems of more purely scientific interest. For example, the 

 geologic folios, which include some of the most notable contributions 

 to pure science, are here included in the literature of applied geology. 

 To me it is less surprising that nearly all the recent publications 

 contam some practical deductions than that most of those of 20 years 

 ago omitted aU data of this kind. 



The marked tendency toward practical problems, as indicated by 

 these figures, is by no means confined to one organization, for it is 

 exhibited in the same degree by State surveys and is also reflected 

 in the work of the universities. Nor is it limited to this continent, 

 for countries as widely separated geographically and in scientific 

 traditions as South America, Japan, and Germany show simOar 



