388 THE RELATIONS OF GEOLOGY. 



only be seen and appreciated in the open air. Later on the scholars 

 might pass to the study of natural agencies, the origin and meaning of 

 landscape, to geology proper, and thence to the study of the intimate 

 relations of nature and man. 



But it nmst be acknowledged that the present lack of this kind of 

 instruction is not to be wholly ascril)ed to the teachers. Good local 

 maps were until tecently practically nonexistent. The Government 

 ordnance and geological surve3^s have now made these at great national 

 expense, but so hidden away are they that few except military and 

 civil engineers and surveyors use them freely, and very few have rec- 

 ognized their perfection and importance. Now, that these maps are 

 becoming completed, we are beginning to discover that they constitute 

 a most important educational engine. They are still, however, sold 

 at too high a price. When we })ear in mind the impoi'tant fact that 

 each member of a class should be provided with a fresh map at every 

 successive stage, the cost to parents and school managers of this 

 branch of geoncmiic training, as matters stand, would be considerable. 

 Yet we may be sure that this kind of instruction is certain to come 

 about. It ))ecomes, therefore, a serious question whether the Govern- 

 ment departments concerned with the surveying of our country could 

 not be authorized to supply these maps to school classes, either as 

 part of the local Government grant or at a ver}^ cheap rate. The actual 

 survex'ing of the country and the preparation of the mai)s already 

 costs several thousands of pounds annually, which are ungrudgingly 

 paid by the nation. Surel}' an extra yearl}^ grant of a few scores of 

 pounds to enable the Government map-making departments to supply 

 these maps to schools at a nominal price would, be so trivial, whether 

 compared on the one hand with the large grant already made for the 

 original production of these maps or on the other hand with their 

 educational value to the rising generation, that it would undoubtedly 

 be welcomed by all. 



And once our people became aware of the excellence of these national 

 maps, topographical and geological, the demand for them, which is 

 comparatively small at present, would certaiid}' grow. As yet, how- 

 ever, the public are hardly aware even of their existence. A great 

 advance has been made of late by hanging up selected, )>ut unfortu- 

 nately not local, portions of these maps in post-ofBces, with a notice 

 that the maps can be obtained from the local agent. But what are 

 really wanted in all post-offices are framed copies of the 1-inch and 

 6-inch maps of the locality, hung up so as to be available for reference 

 b}" all comers, and a copy of each of these and the other local maps 

 kept in stock, together with a simple catalogue of all the national 

 maps and memoirs, any one of which should be obtaina])le by return 

 of post. The post-offices are, in the very nature of things, the l)est 

 advertising places in the country , and they are in direct touch with 



