552 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 118. 



development of members in the younger genera- 

 tion. The same is essentially true of our other 

 geographical societies ; they are not particularly 

 concerned with the educational aspect of geog- 

 raphy. The prizes offered to schools by one 

 society failed of effect, for there was no sub- 

 stantial basis for the work that they were in- 

 tended to excite. The societies are chiefly con- 

 cerned with narrative reports of expeditions 

 and excursions, and with occasional articles of 

 more scientific and studious quality ; but even 

 the latter rarely have any effect on the schools, 

 for they hardly ever reach the teachers. Under 

 existing conditions, with membership in the 

 various societies constituted as at present, it is 

 not likely that the conduct of the societies will 

 be materially altered. The educational ele- 

 ment of geography will be left in the hands of 

 educators. It will not be taken into the hands 

 of travellers. It will not be taken up by the 

 members who, unable to travel themselves, still 

 enjoy hearing the narratives of returned travel- 

 lers. 



But an entirely additional object is also in 

 the minds of the promoters of the Journal of 

 School Geography; namely, the better educa- 

 tion in geography of the tens of thousands of 

 school children who will never hear anything 

 about geographical societies ; and, to this end, 

 the better cultivation of the great body of 

 teachers who ought in an ideal state to be stu- 

 dents of geography, and who as such ought to 

 be members of geographical societies, but who 

 under existing and long enduring conditions 

 can not be either. The great body of our 

 teachers have had but an elementary education 

 and have little time or inclination for study. 

 They cannot be reached by a high-class scientific 

 journal, such as Professor Russell contemplates, 

 but some of them may be reached by a per- 

 sonally subsidized journal of low subscription 

 price. Their work will thus be improved, and 

 the children under them will profit thereby ; 

 but this is an end which the consolidated 

 American Journal of Geography cannot hope 

 to reach. Indeed if, under a rearranged human 

 nature, such a journal were established, it could 

 not have a better ally than the Journal of School 

 Geography. Even as matters stand, the new 

 journal hopes to be the means of first informing 



hundreds of school teachers that such institu- 

 tions as geographical societies and such publica- 

 tions as their journals exist in this country. 

 It is a mistake to confound the objects and 

 fields of two publications, so essentially dif- 

 ferent. 



I believe that Professor Russell is again mis- 

 taken in saying that there is nothing in the 

 character of the new journal to indicate that it 

 possesses greater vitality than its predecessors. 

 One of the predecessors was a highly sensa- 

 tional affair, with more pretension than per- 

 formance. Another was a perfectly sincere 

 performance, but directed to a miscellaneous 

 audience, not conducted by a teacher of school 

 geography, and burdened with the expense of 

 excellent illustrations. The Journal of School 

 Geography has the advantage of a single, definite 

 aim. It looks for external support to subscrip- 

 tions from schools and teachers and from libra- 

 ries to which teachers resort. It expects that, 

 for a time at least, receipts from subscriptions 

 may not equal expenses ; but expenses will at the 

 beginning be kept as low as possible by holding 

 the pages to a minimum, and inserting illustra- 

 tions only when they are paid for by the author of 

 the illustrated article. In the management of 

 such a journal, some might say it is best to 

 borrow capital and begin with fine illustrations 

 so as to catch subscriptions quickly. Others 

 might say it is best to pay as you go. The 

 latter plan was adopted, and I believe wisely. 

 As soon as illustrations can be afforded, they 

 will be introduced. At present the expenses 

 are moderate; the subscriptions are steadily 

 coming in ; and, for one, I believe that such a 

 Journal of School Geography may be made to 

 come so near paying for itself that its life will 

 be assured. 



W. M. Davis. 



Harvard University. 



To THE Editor of Science : Professor Rus- 

 sell in his letter, entitled 'A New Geographical 

 Magazine,' in Science, March 19th, has given 

 a chance for an expression of opinion that, as 

 responsible editor of the publication in ques- 

 tion, I cannot allow to pass. I question very 

 much the suggestion that the ends sought by 

 the Journal of School Geography could be bet- 

 ter attained by a consolidation of the existing 



