PURPOSE OF LAND CLASSIFICATION. 9 



there has been little or no precedent. Scientists and public men of 

 older countries have been outspoken in their interest in this new 

 application of science to governmental administration, and requests 

 have been made for more detailed information on the subject than 

 is available in the references appearing in administrative reports of 

 the Secretary of the Interior and his subordinates. 



A new application of any branch of science necessarily affects the 

 science itself. New use involves added requirements and in turn may 

 contribute in by-products even more than it demands. The general 

 effect of this direct application of the Geological Survey's investiga- 

 tive work to large problems of public administration is believed to 

 have been beneficial to science itself. It has broadened the outlook 

 of the investigator, but especially it has demanded that results be 

 sought which are quantitatively exact as well as qualitatively true. 



A full statement of the policy of land classification and a detailed 

 description of the procedure and methods so far found necessary to 

 carry out that policy, in the stage of development already reached, 

 are presented in this bulletin. This information is believed to be of 

 value both to students of government and to geologists and engineers 

 interested in the application of scientific investigation to practical 

 business. The historical and legal phases of the discussion may be 

 of greatest interest to the citizen concerned in his country's highest 

 development, while the description of field methods should be of 

 immediate value in indicating new requirements imposed upon sci- 

 entific education, for details of this business policy of the Govern- 

 ment are already being adopted in private and corporate land exam- 

 inations. 



This bulletin represents contributions by many authors — ^members 

 of the land-classification board and of the field branches of the Sur- 

 vey. The description of the development of the Survey's organiza- 

 tion for land classification, which immediately follows this introduc- 

 tion, was written by W. C. Mendenhall, who as chief of the land- 

 classification board has been directly responsible for the preparation 

 of the bulletin. The discussion of the history and legal basis of 

 classification was prepared by M. W. Ball, a geologist who has been 

 identified with the work of land classification from its beginning and 

 is now chairman of the oil section of the board. 



The chapter on the classification and valuation of coal land was 

 written by G. H. Ashley, until recently State geologist of Tennessee 

 and now the chairman of the coal section of the land-classification 

 board. At the time of his earlier connection with the Survey Mr. 

 "Ashley, who has made a special study of coal problems in both the 

 eastern and the western fields of the United States, wrote the chapter 

 on " The value of coal land " which appears in Survey Bulletin 424. 

 In the preparation of the present paper Mr. Ashley has been most 



