502 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MO XT ELY 



The doctrine of laissez /aire is simply 

 a rule of conduct applicable in certain con- 

 ditions, not a principle of universal applica- 

 tion. Prof. Walker favors state interfer- 

 ence to the extent of 1, insisting on the 

 thorough primary education of the whole 

 population ; 2, advocating a strict system 

 of sanitary administration ; 3, insisting on 

 the necessity of precautions for the integrity 

 of banks of savings for the encouragement 

 of the instincts of frugality, sobriety, and in- 

 dustry. " If the state," says he, " will see to 

 it that the whole body of the people can read 

 and write and cipher; that the common air 

 and common water which no individual 

 vigilance can protect, yet on which depend, 

 in a degree which few even of intelligent per- 

 sons comprehend, the public health and the 

 laboring power of a populations are kept 

 pure ; and that the first feeble efforts of the 

 poor at bettering their condition are guard- 

 ed against official frauds and speculative 

 risks, it may take its hands off at a hun- 

 dred other points, and trust its citizens, in 

 the main, to do and care for themselves. . . . 

 It must ever be borne in mind, in such dis- 

 cussions, that those things are economically 

 justified which can reasonably be shown to 

 contribute, on the whole, and in the long-run, 

 to a larger production, or, production re- 

 maining the same, to a more equitable dis- 

 tribution of wealth." 



Annual Record of Science and Industry 

 for 1875. By Spencer F. Baird. Pp. 

 946. New York : Harper & Brothers. 



This fifth volume of Prof. Baird's "An- 

 nual Record of Science and Industry" is 

 not only the most voluminous, but also the 

 most complete of the series. The first part 

 of the work, comprising a brief narration 

 of scientific and industrial progress during 

 the year 1875, is specially valuable. Each 

 principal branch of science and industrial 

 art is here considered separately, and the 

 reader is enabled readily to note the amount 

 of progress made in each during the past 

 year, and to observe the directions in which 

 the thoughts of practical and scientific men 

 are tending. Such annual summaries will, 

 in future times, be of invaluable service to 

 the historian. This portion of the work 

 occupies nearly 300 pages. The second 

 part consists of paragraphs communicating 



in brief the results of special scientific in- 

 vestigations. These paragraphs are dis- 

 tributed under the heads of " Mathematics 

 and Astronomy," "Terrestrial Physics and 

 Meteorology," "General Physics, Chemistry, 

 and Metallurgy," " Mineralogy and Geol- 

 ogy," " Geography," " General Natural His- 

 tory and Zoology," " Botany and Horticult- 

 ure," " Agriculture and Rural Economy," 

 " Pisciculture and Fisheries," " Domestic 

 and Household Economy," " Mechanics and 

 Engineering," "Technology," "Materia 

 Medica," "Therapeutics and Hygiene," 

 " Miscellaneous." The work is provided 

 with a good index. 



Manual of the Apiart, pp. 59. Also, In- 

 jurious Insects of Michigan, pp. 48. 

 By Prof. A. J. Cook, of the Michigan 

 State Agricultural College. 



In the first of these two pamphlets Prof. 

 Cook aims to supply a want which has long 

 been felt, that of a hand-book on bee-cult- 

 ure, which shall be at once simple in style, 

 full in its discussions, low-priced, and up 

 with the times. In all these respects he 

 has undoubtedly attained a very fair meas- 

 ure of success. The injurious insects treat- 

 ed of in the second pamphlet are, the po- 

 tato-beetle, May-beetle, pea-weevil, squash- 

 bug, sundry enemies of the cabbage-plant, 

 plum-curculio, grape-phylloxera, clothes- 

 moth, etc. 



Standard Facts and Figures. Compiled 

 by A. G. Sullivan. New York : Morton 

 & Bumont. Pp. 109. 



This little manual contains a large 

 amount of commercial and financial infor- 

 mation of special importance to business- 

 men, and to those who desire to purchase 

 Government, State, railway, and mining 

 stocks. The volume also contains tables of 

 interest, exchange, prices of gold, etc. The 

 value of the work is much enhanced by a 

 very complete index. 



Proceedings of the Poughkeepsie Society 

 of Natural Science. Vol. I., fasci- 

 cule I. Pp 41. 



This installment of the proceedings of 

 the Poughkeepsie Society of Natural Sci- 

 ence consists of only one paper, by Charle6 

 B. Warring, entitled "Studies upon the 



