June 17, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



927 



were present, and several absent members 

 to M'hom I afterwards Avrote, expressed 

 themselves as unprepared to adopt the 

 method of structure, process and stage in 

 their work; but what impressed me more 

 was that they did not propose any alter- 

 native method. Perhaps no sufficient op- 

 portunity was given for the presentation 

 of such an alternative; but certainly none 

 was forthcoming, either in discussion or in 

 correspondence. Some members stated 

 explicitly that they preferred to remain 

 free from any limitations ; and with a pref- 

 erence for full freedom I have the warm- 

 est sympathy. Indeed a wish to profit 

 from the more general introduction of a 

 systematic method does not, to my mind, 

 unwisely interfere with such freedom. 

 Improvements are always in order, and 

 every one must of eoiirse feel free to intro- 

 duce them. There are occasions, however, 

 when some definite method of treatment 

 has to be adopted for a time at least, as 

 when one writes a geographical descrip- 

 tion of a tract of country, or when one 

 presents the principles of geography to a 

 class of students ; and still more when one 

 attempts to teach young geographers the 

 art of geographical description. It was 

 particularly Avith regard to such needs 

 that I was interested to learn the opinions 

 and the practise of my associates. Per- 

 haps the title of the Chicago conference, 

 namely, "Uniformity of Method in Geo- 

 graphical Investigation and Instruction," 

 went too far; and as I am now minded, my 

 object would be better expressed under 

 such a title as "Experiments in the Sys- 

 tematic Description of Land Forms." It 

 is especially that aspect of the subject 

 which I wish to pursue further to-day. 



A GEOGRAPHICAL, EXCUESION IN ITALY 



A good test of a method of description 

 ■ is found in its application to new fields. 



It was, therefore, with much interest that 

 I looked forward two years ago to a jour- 

 ney to Italy in the summer of 1908, when 

 it would be possible to revisit certain dis- 

 tricts of which I had had passing glances 

 in the spring of 1899, and to determine 

 how far they could be described according 

 to the method under experiment. But it 

 occurred to me that an adequate and im- 

 partial experiment with a method could 

 hardly be secured if the person who had de- 

 veloped it should also be the person who had 

 to apply it. Others of different training 

 ought to make the test. Hence a circular 

 letter was sent to a number of correspon- 

 dents at home and abroad, indicating a 

 route and a plan of work, and inviting them 

 or such of their advanced students as they 

 eo'uld recommend to join me in Italy on 

 June first. The success of this plan passed 

 all my anticipations. We were favored 

 by special permission from the Italian. 

 Ministry of "War, secured through the kind. 

 offices of the American Embassy at Rome,, 

 to make field studies even near fortifica- 

 tions and along the frontier. We were 

 allowed to purchase all sorts of maps, not 

 usually on sale, at the Military Geograph- 

 ical Institute in Florence. We were cor- 

 dially welcomed by scientific colleagues at 

 various points. The members of the party 

 all entered heartily into the spirit of the 

 work proposed, and made a most har- 

 monious even if a variegated troop. The 

 numbers varied from four to forty or 

 more in different parts of the route. The 

 cosmopolitan character of the gathering 

 was its greatest value; for under what 

 conditions could one secure livelier incen- 

 tive to geographical investigation or make 

 a better test of a proposed method of work, 

 than by visiting choice fields in the com- 

 pany of earnest students of difiierent 

 nationalities and different training, and 

 discussing together the varied landscapes 



