Jan., 1906.] 
Physiography and Geography. 
431 
PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY— THEIR RELATIONS, 
DIFFERENCES AND ESSENTIAL FIELDS.* 
Geo. D. Hubbard. 
Theoretically, it is conceded that geography shall be taught 
in the grades and physiography in the high schools, but prac- 
tically both are taught more or less all the way through. Hence,. 
many do not see the boundary line which separates these two 
sciences. I speak of the subjects in the public schools only, 
because at present they are best known as parts of public school 
curricula, not because I believe they are or should be confined to 
these stages. Neither do I object to the above mentioned lack 
of differentiation in the elementary teaching. 
Pupils came to us in the colleges and universities totally 
blind, as have been their teachers before them, to any real dis- 
tinction between geography and physiography. The idea seems 
to prevail that the former includes the latter. Undoubtedly 
the use of the name physical geography for the latter cultivates 
the notion. Truly they are related but not quite in that way. 
Physiography, if not able to go alone, is more properly consid- 
ered a corporate part of geology. What then is the relation 
existing between these two sciences? Can one be studied with- 
out the other? Which one should receive attention first? Are 
they so related that they may be concurrently studied? 
These questions will be discussed in inverse order. In ele- 
mentary work the pupil’s interest centers in, and radiates from 
the human or life element. So in his geography he finds man' 
harvesting grain with a cradle in Vermont, with a two- or three- 
horse reaper in Ohio and a steam header in Southern California, 
and he asks why. The answer comes in noting the topography, 
soil, and climate, and the condition of, and uses for, the straw. 
He incidentally learns something of the physiography of the 
places studied in order to explain the relations and responses 
which he has found. He reads of the arid climate of the Great 
Plains and then discovers the influence of the Rockies in pro- 
ducing the aridity, and ultimately comes to appreciate several 
points about mountains. He finds the railroads coming into 
Indianapolis and Columbus from all directions while they enter 
Cincinnati, Albany and Helena from only three or four. The 
teacher calls attention to the topography and he learns facts 
about plains and prairies, about mountains, passes and valleys. 
But through it all he is studying geography, not physiography. 
He is using simple, physiographic facts to explain and answer 
geographic questions. It is time enough to introduce the 
physiographic when the geographic requires it. 
* Read at the Cincinnati meeting, Ohio St. Acad, of Sci., Dec. 2, 1905. 
