102 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Sept. 



BOOK NOTICE. 



Lands, Fisheries, Game and Minerals: Commission of 

 Conservation, Canada. 



This most valuable publication has recently been issued by 

 the Dominion Commission of Conservation. It is a book repre- 

 senting a great deal of exacting research work, and will be found 

 exceedingly instructive and entertaining to everyone interested 

 in this great country of ours. The volume is a large one of some 

 525 pages, substantially bound in cloth and fully illustrated 

 throughout with maps, diagrams and two-colour photo engrav- 

 ings. 



The section devoted to Lands describes the agricultural 

 survey of one hundred representative farms in each province, 

 made by the Commission of Conservation in order to ascertain 

 just what the condition of agriculture is in Canada. Some of 

 the subjects on which information was obtained are: rotation 

 of crops, use of manures, prevalence of weeds and insect pests, 

 water and fuel supply and the use of selected seed. One of the 

 striking facts revealed is that not more than nine per cent, of 

 the fanners of Canada follow any intelligent and effective 

 rotation of crops. By the adoption of more scientific methods 

 which could readily be put into effect, it is estimated that the 

 field crops of the country could be doubled in twenty years. 

 The report is replete with argicultural information, valuable 

 because it is not hearsay, but a statement of actual facts scien- 

 tifically obtained by men in the field. An article on Agricultural 

 Production in Canada indicates just what each province has 

 produced of field crops, fruit and live stock since 1891, and also 

 gives crop areas and comparative crop yields. 



The part on Fisheries and Game is a valuable compendium 

 of facts and conclusions by various experts. On account of the 

 frequent disputes over jurisdiction in the case of fisheries between 

 the Provinces and the Dominion, an analysis is given of the 

 clauses of the British North America Act referring to fisheries, 

 showing what powers each authority has. Following this is a 

 digest of the Federal and Provincial fisheries laws and regulations. 



Mr. James White, Secretary of the Commission, has an 

 important article on the North Atlantic Fisheries Dispute in 

 which he traces the historical development of the case leading 

 up to the late Hague arbitration, gives the terms of settlement 

 and recounts the advantages accruing therefrom to Canadian 

 fishing interests. 



The Canadian Oyster Industry is dealt with by Mr. J. Patton, 

 Assistant Secretary of the Commission. The statement is 

 made that Canada pays out annually over $3 50,000 for oysters 



