Excerpt from The Physiography of the United States: Ten Monographs The study of the origin of earth forms has made remark able progress during the last twenty years, so that it is scarcely exaggeration to say that a new science has been created. While those who have aided in its development are learned investigators exploring the frontiers of human knowledge, the more important results are SO simple as to be appreciated not only by intelligent laymen, but even by school children. Practical experiment has shown that the explanation of the work of rain and streams in the shaping of the earth is one of the most attractive and fruitful nature studies which can be intro duced into primary and secondary schools, and a move ment has been organized among educators for its extensive' introduction. Professor W. M. Davis of Harvard Uni versity, who is a leader in this movement, proposed about two years ago that the National Geographic Society undertake the preparation of a series of essays on geo graphic subjects, enlisting in the work some of the numerous specialists in its membership, and making such arrangements for publication that the essays should be accessible to the teachers of the land. This proposition was developed and discussed at a conference held in Washington in June, 1894, and a few months later the managers of the society took action, appointing an editing committee under the chairmanship of Major J. W. Powell. Arrangements for publication were made with the Amer ican Book Company, and this volume is the first product of that cooperation. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.