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one another in finding means to malvc that home more habitable, hixurious 

 and Utopian. Geography studies tlie relationships between the earth and 

 its inhabitants, involved in the influences of natural environment and the 

 reactions of plants, animals and men. Under the quickening power of 

 the doctrine of evolution, biologj' has gone to studying "the reciprocal re- 

 lations of organisms and the external world," and geography has been 

 compelled to become a universal ecology. The very latest and happiest 

 statement I have seen is that of Prof. Ilerbertson, that "geography is fast 

 becoming the scientific study of environments." A distinguished geographer 

 wlio is also a member of rarliament goes farther and defines geography to 

 be not a science, but a state of mind, a way of looking at tilings in proper 

 perspective, in relation to the world organism of which they form a part. 



And so I have undertaken by way of both exposition and apologj- to 

 present to the Academy a con.crete example of the method and the re- 

 sults of contemjjorary gcHjgraphic science, as applied to those regions with 

 «hich the i)eople of Indiana are most intimately concerned. Geography 

 claims the right (jf scientific jirevision. and tliiTefore my tojfic is The 

 North America of Today and Tomorroir, and Indiana's I'lace in If. 



My theme might be very fully presented Ity a series of maps, almost 

 unlimited in number, but arranged in a few groups. The tirst may be 

 called the pedographic (Greek pedon, the ground) group, which would 

 display the features of the ground, or substratum upon which plants grow, 

 animals live, and men find their homes and do their work. It would in- 

 clude graphic expressions of the height, depth, outline, relief and struc- 

 ture of the earth crust. A second group would be hydrographic and dis- 

 play the features of the sea of water which acts not only upon the surface 

 of the continent, but stretches through its substance from ocean to ocean. 

 A third group would be climatic, and deal with the dynamic, thermal and 

 hyetal conditions of the atmosphere. A fourth group would be biographic, 

 (in a special sense) showing the distribution of plant and animal life. A 

 fifth group would be economic and would reveal the secrets of hou.sehold 

 management, by which the human family makes a living, high or low, on 

 this continent. A sixth group would be demograiihic. showing the distri- 

 bution of people of all races, colors, languages, clothes, "diseases, accom- 

 plishments and sins," and would grade into a final sociologic group dealing 

 with politics, education, art and religion. Of this possible gallery of maps 

 1 can display but half a dozen and make them exhibit details, for verbal 

 mention of which time is lacking. The key to my thesis is map No. 4, 



