The book is well written and gives the impression of thorough reliability. Its content is admirable. Its shortcomings (to an American) are those mentioned in the beginning.

THE PANAMA CANAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMPETITION. BY Lincoln Hutchinson, University of California. X+283 pages. The Macmillan Co., New York, 1915.

A careful study and a clear presentation of a topic which has much interest at the present time. The author has studied the trade routes of the last ten or fifteen years to show what the trend of development has been. Then the new factor, the canal, has been introduced and an attempt made to show how it may alter the direction or character of trade movement. The author has made a comprehensive study of statistics of all countries which publish such data and has added valuable personal observations based on a series of visits to all important regions concerned.

The discussion is largely of an economic nature but there is much of value for the geographer in this volume. F. E. W.

IN

THE CHILD'S INTEREST IN GEOGRAPHY

N American Education for February, 1915, Dr. George J. Dann, Superintendent of Schools, Oneonta, N. Y., discusses the above topic. He asks: "Are not the interests of the children themselves the key to the solution of this problem of procedure in teaching geography?"

Dr. Dann proceeded to investigate this question in the grades of the Oneonta schools. With the cooperation of his teachers he made a series of tests of various sorts under conditions which were likely to reveal the actual geographical interests of pupils of different ages.

"A preliminary effort was made to have the children in every grade investigated, instructed in each of the following departments of the subject: (a) The human phase

* * * “For several days before each test was made the instructors were cautioned to put aside all personal preferences and to strive to put the children in possession of sufficient geographical data relating to each of these phases to make them capable of intelligent choice." * * * "The most marked

interest of fourth grade boys was in the human phase-in peoples, particularly those whose customs, dress and manners are far different from our own.

In the fifth and sixth grades he found that the interest of boys in the human phase was even more notable than in the preceding year and he summarizes by saying: "Our results were of such a nature as fairly to establish the fact that the interests in people, their habits, customs, and dress is strong and persistent in all of the grades of the elementary school."

"Our study of interest in the industries was one of the most satisfactory features in this investigation. Beginning with a scant comprehension of the value of the study of industries in the fourth grade, the interest increases steadily in importance from year to year."

* * * "Interest in commerce seemed to develop more slowly than interest in industry. No evidence of any importance of a desire to know more of this topic was to be found in the fourth or fifth grades."

"Interest in relief, drainage, climate, etc., was everywhere meagre until the eighth grade. Even then it was not predominant. Causal relations do not appeal to young children in the field of physical geography to any greater extent than they do elsewhere. Physical geography is probably better taught to eighth year and high school pupils."

"This investigation seems to confirm the present tendency of pedagogical thinking as related to children's interests in mathematical geography. Although "type questions," suggestive of a rich content, were brought to the attention of hundreds of children, no interest of any importance was in evidence until the child had reached the upper grammar school grade. It is fully understood that there are other factors besides interest which must be taken into consideration. I do feel convinced, however, that interest has not been sufficiently considered by those who have prepared courses, and syllabi and text books. Interest is primarily a feeling and feelings are rarely neutral. If we can make an ally of interest in our geography work, we shall have the right to expect more satisfactory results than we have secured so many times in the past when we have found interest battling against us."

The Journal of Geography believes that Supt. Dann's conclusions are essentially correct.

PROFESSOR DAVIS'S REPORT ON HIS STUDY OF CORAL

REEFS

IN

N Science of March 26, Professor W. M. Davis gives a preliminary report on the SHALER MEMORIAL study of coral reefs. He announces that the full report will probably appear in the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Excerpts from his preliminary report follow:

"Any one of the eight or nine theories of coral reefs will satisfactorily. account for the visible features of sea-level reefs themselves, provided the postu

IN

THE WONDERFUL GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES

N the half century since the close of the Civil War (1864 to 1914), the United States has been passing through a period of growth such as no

nation in the world's history ever experienced.

FROM 1864 TO 1914

The population increased from 34 to 98 million.

The per capita wealth from $500 to $1500.

The per capita circulation of money from $20 to $35.

The number of national banks from 467 to 7500.

Individual savings bank deposits from 240 to 4800 million dollars.

Imports of merchandise per capita from $9 to $19.

Exports of merchandise from 160 to 2360 million dollars.

Exports of merchandise per capita from $4.70 to $24.00.

Exports of leather and its manufactures from 2 to 58 million dollars.
Exports of oil, mineral and refined, from 7 to 145 million dollars.
Exports of wood manufactures from 12 to 100 million dollars.
Exports of all manufactured articles from 35 to 1100 million dollars.
The value of farms and farm property from 8 to 40 billion dollars.
The annual value of farm products from 2 to 9 billion dollars.
The value of farm animals from 1 to 6 billion dollars.

The wheat grown from 160 to 890 million bushels.
The corn grown from 800 to 3,000 million bushels.

The cotton grown (1866-1913) from 2 to 14 million bales.
The rice grown (1866-1913) from 25 to 700 million pounds.
The cane sugar made (1870-1914) 100 to 600 million pounds.
The copper mined from 8000 to 550,000 long tons.

The coal mined from 21 to 500 million long tons.

The petroleum obtained from 88 to 10,500 million gallons.

The pig iron produced from 1 to 31 million long tons.

The steel from 15,000 to 30,000,000 long tons.

The value of manufactured products from 2 to 20 billion dollars.

Cotton spindles from 6 to 32 millions.

Cotton spindles in the South from a half million in 1880 to 12 million in 1913.

Imports of raw silk from 400,000 to 35,000,000 pounds.

The per capita consumption of sugar from 18 to 87 pounds.

The per capita consumption of coffee from 3 to 10 pounds.
The railroad mileage from 34,000 to 260,000 miles.
The postal receipts from 12 to 270 million dollars.

R. H. W.

THE INDEX