352 ANNUAL EEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1912. 



no less credit for his aid in opening up the West by economic investiga- 

 tions than for his contributions to knowledge on the age of the earth. 

 We think of Maj. Powell as one of the founders of physiographic 

 geology, but his memory will live rather for employing science to 

 make available the latent fertihty of the arid regions of the West. 

 Surely no one ynW charge Kang or Powell with commercializing their 

 science. 



As I see it, there lies no danger in the present trend toward applied 

 geology, provided our applied geology rests on a broad basis of 

 scientific research. If the spring of pure science is cut off, the stream 

 of apphed geology must soon run dry. There is no field of pure 

 geology which 'will not yield results applicable to questions of material 

 welfare. On the other hand, am^ given investigation in applied 

 geology may lead to problems of paleontology, petrography, geo- 

 physics, or other branches of pure science. In view of the pressing 

 demand for results, we are justified in giving precedence to those 

 fields of investigation which promise the earliest returns of material 

 value. There is, however, grave danger that, carried away by the 

 present furor for practical results, we may lose sight of our scientific 

 ideals. Applied geology can only maintain its present high position 

 of usefulness by continuing the researches which advance the knowl- 

 edge of basic principles. Future progress in applied geology depends 

 on progress in j)ure geology. 



