session 1907-1908. 
XXI 
The study by our local botanists of the distribution of plant- 
associations was advocated, the results being iaid down on maps. 
“ The distribution, however, of plant-associations is, 55 he said, 
“ of comparatively little value when studied alone. We require 
for its interpretation a knowledge of the local land-forms and 
drainage-systems, of local drift geology, of local climate, and 
many other local data which can be expressed upon maps. The 
geographical method of research is to construct with scrupulous 
care separate maps of each of these orders of phenomena, and 
then to compare them, when correlations of distribution will 
leap to notice and will suggest fresh inquiries. It is obvious 
that for the study of the causes of local distribution we must 
often go to historical records, whether embodied in documents, 
in place-names, or in archaeological studies.” 
As one example of the kind of work he advocated, the 
description by Dr. H. R. Mill of a small part of Sussex in his 
“Fragment of the (Geography of England” (‘ G-eogr. Journ.,’ 
vol. xv) was instanced. No really adequate geographical 
account of the British Isles would, however, be possible until 
we had a much richer local literature from which an author 
could mine; yet such an account was essential to any scientific 
basis for British national history. 
“ What is wanted,” he continued, “ is that in connection with 
each Society it should be the duty of some member to correlate 
the results obtained by the different specialist sections. This 
member would extract from the work of the botanists, the 
archaeologists, and others, the data for the construction of his 
scheme of maps, and it would fall naturally to him to suggest 
the formation of new sections, and to enlist the enthusiasm of 
fresh students for the purpose of filling lacunae in the local 
researches. In other words, it would be his special function to 
correlate from a geographical point of view the work of the 
various specialists, and to draw deductions from his correlations 
for the guidance of the specialists in their further work. Local 
investigation, instead of being haphazard and isolated, would 
thus become co-operative, and the results would be synthetic. 
Side-lights would be thrown on all manner of special studies, 
and the students of other sciences would thus get back with 
interest the contributions which they made to geography.” 
“ Finally,” he said, “I would suggest that any local Society 
which saw its way to organizing and carrying through such 
a thorough and comprehensive survey as to lead to a geographical 
synthesis of all the aspects, physical and humane, of local 
knowledge, would blend itself with the local life and establish 
itself securely among the local institutions. On all hands it is 
now agreed that education in such subjects as geography and 
history should be based on the study of the home district. What 
finer work for the effort of a local Society than to produce a text¬ 
book for the local schools which shall rouse and satisfy interest 
in the surrounding country-side and in the local monuments, 
