ABSTRACT
Geography may be defined as ‘human ecology’ or it may be considered simply as a description of the earth. A most graphically phrased explanation attributed to Isaiah Bowman states that ‘geography tells what is where, why and what of it’. In the words of Griffith Taylor, ‘Geography is the correlative science.’ One might continue to quote the attempts of eminent geographers to define the field of geography, yet no matter what approach is made to the subject it will be found that soil is one of the important factors of the environment. Its importance, however, has not yet been clearly recognized by all geographers. There are still in use standard geography text-books in which no useful mention is made of soils; others which do not regard it as necessary to explain what soils are, or how they are classified. In those recent texts which do recognize the importance of soils knowledge, it may be allotted from 3 to 5 per cent of the space. In books on land settlement and conservation of resources, in which geographers are becoming increasingly involved, possibly 10 to 12 per cent will be devoted to the subject. It is, therefore, not out of place that in a symposium on modern geography there should be a discussion in which soil science should contribute its share towards the moulding of geographic thought.
