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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



PUBLICATION 



The only regular publication of the 

 Society is the National Geographic 

 Magazine, which all members receive 

 regularly. Every effort is made to culti- 

 vate an interest in geography by the pres- 

 entation in popular and acceptable form 

 of articles bearing on geographic subjects 

 of general and timely importance. These 

 articles are written by individuals thor- 

 oughly familiar with the subjects; they 

 are illustrated fully and beautifully, while 

 maps of value frequently supplement the 

 text. No expense or care is omitted to 

 make the Magazine beautiful in typog- 

 raphy, accurate in statement, and inter- 

 esting in matter- 



The African number (March, 1909) 

 may be considered as typical of our 

 policy of uniting the various phases of 

 science, exploration, sport, and pleasure. 

 In our current number we present one 

 •of our frequent articles describing some 

 line of work of the Federal Government, 

 in this case the making of homes for 

 millions of people on the arid desert. In 

 our June number we shall present an 

 article on "Ascents of Notable Peaks," 

 with a series of illustrations of the most 

 beautiful and most famous mountains 

 throughout the world. 



Our July number will be a special 

 number describing the great and almost 

 unknown Territory of Alaska : its un- 

 rivaled glaciers, superb mountains, and 

 rapid economic development. 



The Magazine will continue to give 

 members the splendid illustrated articles 

 of travel in and description of all parts of 

 the world that have made the publication 

 so indispensable in the past, and we hope, 

 to add other features, which are made 

 possible now that the income of the 

 Society, because of the popularity of its 

 Magazine, has increased to such an ex- 

 tent that more money can be expended on 

 the publication. 



In this connection the attention of the 

 members of the Society is invited to the 

 fact that the first five numbers of the 

 Magazine of this year contain 490 pages, 

 while the same numbers in 1908 con- 

 tained 386 pages. 



ORIGINAL RESEARCH 



The Board of Managers has long 

 desired to prosecute, in behalf of the 

 National Geographic Society, research 

 work of importance and in an extended 

 and continuing manner. From time to 

 time the Society has extended assistance 

 to individuals engaged in geographic 

 work of special interest, but lack of 

 means has naturally restricted operations 

 to intermittent and minor occasions. At 

 its last meeting, however, the Board of 

 Managers set aside the sum of five thou- 

 sand dollars, which is to be expended 

 under the direction of the Committee on 

 Research, Henry Gannett, Chairman, 

 during the coming year, on such original 

 research as may be thought most timely. 

 An announcement of the work under- 

 taken will be made in the next number of 

 this Magazine. 



In addition there was appointed a 

 committee to raise by subscription a 

 special fund, which shall be devoted to 

 geographic exploration and research. It 

 is thought that the time is ripe for such 

 efforts, which would place America, as 

 regards geographic work, on the same 

 plane of generous support as now obtains 

 in other countries. It is desired that 

 such an amount may be raised as will 

 make it possible for the Society to plan 

 and carry out geographic explorations 

 and research in an efficient, systematic, 

 and persistent manner. The committee 

 will present at an early day an outline 

 of the most important geographic work 

 to be done, accompanied by an appeal 

 for funds for its accomplishment. 



ENCOURAGEMENT TO RESEARCH 



At its meeting of April 21, 1909, the 

 Board of Managers took final and favor- 

 able action on a plan, long under con- 

 sideration, for the recognition through 

 suitable methods of geographic work of 

 value or originality. Hereafter the Soci- 

 ety, through its Committee on Research 

 and Board of Managers, will regularly 

 consider the question of awards for such 

 specially meritorious geographic work as 

 may be brought to its attention. The 

 awards of medals, with or without 



