APKa 5, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



335 



tions. For this reason, if for no other, 

 promulgation of the knowledge of modern 

 geography should be furthered wherever 

 possible. 



"When geography and geology, and sub- 

 jects which have similar advantages, oc- 

 cupy larger places than they now do in 

 our educational sj'stem. I believe that our 

 young men and women will be better 

 equipped than they are now to do their 

 part in transforming a contentious world 

 into a world of righteousness, based on 

 mutual consideration. 



RoLLiN D. Salisbury 



University of Chicago 



THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO 



VISIT THE HARVARD COLLEGE 



OBSERVATORY 



To THE Bo.UtD OF OvERSEERS OF HARVARD 



College : The committee which you appointed 

 to visit the astronomical observatory begs leave 

 to submit the following report. 



Both individually and as a committee we 

 have kept in touch with the work of the ob- 

 servatory, visiting it from time to time and 

 receiving statements from the director as to 

 the condition and progress of the work. 



Your committee finds the many researches 

 going on in a most efBcient and satisfactory 

 way, and the results are published from time 

 to time in bulletins and in the Harvard Annals 

 which now number eighty volumes. The large 

 amoimt and the high quality of the scientific 

 output keeps the observatory in the position it 

 has occupied for many years as one of the 

 greatest observatories of the world. 



In recent reports to you we have given in 

 some detail the results of various special lines 

 of investigation which the observatory baa 

 undertaken. In this report we desire to touch 

 on the efforts of Professor Pickering to co- 

 ordinate the general progress of astronomical 

 science and to bring about a larger cooperation 

 among the different observatories of the world. 



One of the objects of the Harvard Observa- 

 tory as stated in its statutes is " in general to 

 promote the progress of knowledge in astro- 



nomical and kindred sciences." This, Professor 

 Pickering has interpreted in the largest and 

 most unselfish sense by laboring to advance 

 the science in any and all ways, whether the 

 particular credit for the work should come to 

 the Harvard Obsen-atory or not. As the ob- 

 ject of the study was the same over-arching 

 sky he has always believed that the most suc- 

 cessful prosecution of the work would come 

 from the fullest cooperation of those devoting 

 their talents to the common aim. 



Modern astronomy has demanded the most 

 extended effort and the greatest concentration 

 of resources extended over many years to pro- 

 duce the large amount of work which lies at 

 the foundation of the astronomy of to-day. 

 These investigations have demanded labors 

 which no individual or institution could pro- 

 duce but have required the combined efforts 

 of great observatories extending over many 

 years. 



In addition to this the best results are only 

 obtained by division of labor and a condition 

 where the special man and the particular 

 problem are brought together. The science 

 has now become so diversified that no astron- 

 omer has the versatility or the interest to carry 

 on all the required branches of investigation. 

 There is the problem of finance and the man; 

 there is the problem of producing astronomical 

 instruments as well as the man to use them; 

 of taking photographs as well as measuring 

 them; and, finally, the problem of estimating 

 values and drawing reasonable conclusions 

 from all the previous work. 



In short, the progress of astronomy, like the 

 advancement of civilization, requires many 

 and diverse talents. It was the early realiza- 

 tion of this truth which made Professor Pick- 

 ering a pioneer in an unselfish policy to secure 

 cooperation among astronomers so that each 

 might be enabled to carry on the particular 

 lines of work for which he is was best fitted. 



As early as 1877 he published a pamphlet on 

 '■ The Endowment of Research " and advocated 

 a closer cooperation looking to the larger in- 

 terests of the science. 



In 1886, a second paper was published ask- 

 ing for an endowment of one hundred thou- 



