350 SCIENCE PROGRESS 







The Strawberry in North America : History, Origin, Botany, and Breeding. 



By S. W. Fletcher, Professor of Horticulture at the Pennsylvania State 

 College. [Pp. xiv + 234.] (New York : The Macmillan Company, 1917. 

 Price $1.50.) 



This is an interesting account of the history of the strawberry, especially as it 

 concerns North America. The early cultivation of strawberries in gardens led, 

 in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, to strawberry-growing on a com- 

 mercial scale, until to-day the commercial strawberry crop of the United States is 

 valued at .£4,000,000 annually — more than half the strawberry crop of the world. 

 The first two chapters give a very adequate account of the rapid development of 

 this plant industry in America. The subjects of the next chapter are rather 

 mixed — packages, training and pollination are considered mainly from a historical 

 standpoint. The fourth chapter is entitled " Origin and Botany." It illustrates 

 well the difficulty of tracing back to their origin the cultivated races of plants, 

 even in the case of a plant whose cultivation is as recent as the strawberry's. 



The remaining chapters are devoted to the desirable characters in a variety* 

 and to the question of breeding. The book is well written, and contains a number 

 of illustrations of different varieties of strawberries as well as of other subjects. 



W. S. 



Afforestation. By John Boyd. [Pp. 39.] (London : W. R. Chambers, Ltd., 

 1918. Price is. net.) 



It is universally admitted that for many years Forestry has received but scant 

 attention in the United Kingdom. It was not until the late war that most of us 

 began to understand the great importance of timber for every kind of industry, 

 and this little book supplies some practical ideas for the re-afforestation of our 

 countrysides. 



In his opening chapter Mr. Boyd points out the neglect into which forestry 

 has fallen, and gives a short sketch of the attempts made to induce the Govern- 

 ment to take an intelligent interest in schemes of re-afforestation. He goes on 

 to give a description of the widespread destruction of woodlands which has been 

 going on for several centuries, and he demonstrates the absolute necessity for 

 timber in the majority of our industries. 



The writer shows that the interests of Agriculture and Forestry are in no way 

 antagonistic, and he points out that very little agricultural land would be required 

 for timber, except for nursery purposes. 



That all harmful ground game, such as hares, rabbits, and deer, should be 

 rigorously dealt with he insists upon, and he also advocates the destruction of any 

 harmful game-birds, or, at any rate, their restriction within reasonable limits. 



There follow some practical suggestions as to where planting operations should 

 commence, as regards altitude, shelter and aspect, and soil quality. The relations 

 of the natural herbage to the area of timber which can be grown are also con- 

 sidered. 



Finally, there is a list of trees which have come under the writer's special 

 notice. We should have thought that the European larch would do well in Perth- 

 shire ; this tree having been introduced there from the Tyrol in 1738 by Menzies 

 of Culdares. 



C. C. R. 



