March 26, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



505 



genetic science, vital, causal, evolutionary. 

 Nor may we neglect the moral and sesthetic 

 value of these studies. This is the work of 

 the teacher who knows, who has a horizon, 

 who can arouse and inspire. 



Professor Charles S. Prosser, of Union, 

 advocated the thorough teaching of geog- 

 raphy in the grammar schools, suggesting the 

 use of such a work as Frye's which should 

 be followed in the high school by physical 

 geography. The class-room work should 

 be supplemented by excursions to localities 

 in the neighborhood affording illustrations 

 of some of the features of physiography. 



It is now found that a portion of the col- 

 lege students when taken on geological 

 field trips are indifferent to the illustrations 

 of geologic structure. The early interest 

 of boys in objects to be found in field and 

 forest seems to have become atrophied, a 

 condition of mind said by Professor Shaler 

 to be due to super-civilization. This is 

 more apparent in the students coming from 

 large cities than in those from the smaller 

 cities and villages. It was stated by the 

 great teacher of geology — Professor Dana 

 — that as a rule the students who mastered 

 geology were those who had spent a con- 

 siderable portion of their boyhood in the 

 country. It was emphasized that this 

 power to observe would be greatly devel- 

 oped by a high-school course, using such a 

 work as Tarr's Elementary Physical Geog- 

 raphy. 



Professor E. C. Quereau, of Syracuse 

 University, spoke on the need of corre- 

 lation of the university and the secondary 

 school work in physical geography. The 

 geography taught in the lower schools bas 

 been too much descriptive and locative, 

 the pupil being required to memorize geo- 

 graphical features, while the work which 

 has been taken up in the college and uni- 

 versity in later years has been a study of 

 the origin and progressive changes of the 

 surface features of the earth and their vital 



relations to the needs of man. A better 

 correlation of the work, from the secondary 

 school up to the college, would be an ad- 

 vantage. 



Dr. Frank McMurry, of Buffalo, argued 

 that mental discipline is not the highest aim 

 in the study of the earth sciences in the 

 high school curriculum. The great object 

 to be emphasized in teaching literature, 

 history, and nature study in the common 

 school is inspiration. They arouse the 

 whole mind, develop life-long tastes or 

 loves, and hence become permanent sources 

 of energy and mental life. The ability to 

 arouse a great love for nature is the greatest 

 object in bringing physical geography into 

 the curriculum. It is a much nobler, 

 higher purpose than discipline or infor- 

 mation. This study can excite this love, 

 because in it inductive work can be done ; 

 it can be concrete, and the laws involved 

 can be reached through abundant data. 

 Then, too, these data stand related in a 

 causal way ; they can fall into a causal 

 series, a series in which function can take 

 the lead and be more prominent than form. 

 Further than that, as said by Professor 

 Dodge, the whole subject can be approached 

 through problems, and one series of problems 

 can lead to another and higher series. 



It is plain, then, that this is a science in 

 which the subject matter is so arranged 

 that it can be a source of great mental life ; 

 that is why this subject is so valuable. 

 Life is controlled by loves, by tastes, and 

 this subject is able to generate a great love 

 for one field of nature. 



Careful consideration of this science and 

 proper teaching of it will ultimately influ- 

 ence greatly the teaching of geography in 

 the grades. If we can once establish the 

 conviction that the earth is alive and 

 changing and active it can affect the teach- 

 er's attitude toward the grade work. Pos- 

 sibly at last physical geography can pre- 

 cede the book work in geography. This, 



