STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND PRACTICAL 
GEOGRAPHY.^ 
FRANK CARNEY. 
The expression ^‘practical geography/’ as used in this paper, 
implies, not essentially the utilitarian or economic phase of the 
subject, but the rational as opposed to the idealistic, the possible 
as opposed to the highly improbable or impossible. What we 
would accomplish in the way of right geography, and what, as a 
matter of fact, we are able to accomplish in the near future, are 
disproportionate quantities. But we do not desire the idealist 
to become less active; he is the standard-bearer, and when at some 
future time this country shall have attained the position in geog- 
raphy even now reached in England, we may grant that the man 
who always advocated the very best did more than half the work. 
In the meantime, it may not be futile to point out some lines of 
activity possible for Geological Surveys, organizations already 
well established and sustained in many of the States. Not only 
these organizations, but many others, both State and national, are 
constantly producing much matter that is strictly geographic, but 
which for purposes of geography is unused and will continue use- 
less till properly correlated. The correlation of this material, and 
the accomplishment of a few other suggestions, appear to the 
writer practicable at the present time. 
No one would underestimate the progress being made in this 
country in geography. The encouraging conditions furnish an 
incentive to hasten much better conditions. In our colleges and 
universities are a number of men employed solely for giving instruc- 
tion in geography, and other institutions are considering the estab- 
lishment of chairs. Even in secondary schools the physiographic 
side of geography, at least, is receiving more attention. The 
^Written for the Chicago Meeting, 1907, of the Association of American Geog- 
raphers. Reprinted from the Bulletin American Geographical Society^ vol. xl, Sept- 
ember, IQOg. 
