BOOKS AND CURRENT LITERATURE 171 



literary style carried the volume through three editions and several 

 reprints during the next ten years, although it did not have the intrinsic 

 value of most of his other works. It was a compendium of opinions 

 which were often unsupported by facts; nothing in it was very helpful, 

 nothing very wrong. One laid it down with no distinct idea of having 

 read anything positive relating to plant breeding. 



In 1906, with the appearance of a fourth edition, there was a decided 

 change in form. The author had sublet various parts. This entailed 

 a sacrifice of style and unity; but there was a gain in facts — an incli- 

 nation toward practicability and usefulness probably due to the guiding 

 hand of Webber. 



In the present edition, 1 the valuable qualities of both types of the 

 earlier imprints have been retained. There is unity of purpose through 

 the efforts of one reviser, Dr. Gilbert; there is the old simplicity of style 

 through the supervision of Dr. Bailej^. The book is now really an 

 introduction to scientific plant breeding, and as such will doubtless be 

 of very great interest to the many laymen who wish to become conver- 

 sant with modern ideas of plant improvement. It can also be heartily 

 recommended as a text book for classes in general plant breeding in 

 agricultural colleges if used with discretion by a teacher with some 

 first hand knowledge of the subject and if supplemented by other works. 

 It is not of a sufficiently advanced character, however, to be used for 

 serious instruction in genetics. 



The first few chapters deal with variation in much the same hazy 

 way that characterized the earlier editions. While no doubt the 

 beginning student may gain something from them it is to be regretted 

 that some of the numerous recent discoveries relating to reproduction, 

 development and variation are not given as a foundation upon which 

 the remainder of the discussions could be placed. There follows a 

 brief discussion of statistical methods in Chapter IV and a resume of 

 DeVries' facts and philosophy regarding mutations in Chapter V. 

 The brief treatment of biometry is good, though there are several 

 typographical errors and a certain vagueness concerning the meaning 

 of probable errors. The reviewer suggests that in future editions, the 1 

 chapter be placed in an appendix. The mutation theory is treated 

 wholly from the DeVriesian standpoint of 1903. Possibly the account 

 would have had a somewhat greater value if a description of the more 

 important modern researches on the subject had been incorporated. 



1 Bailey, L. H., Plant Breeding. Fifth Edition, revised by A. W. Gilbert. 

 Pp. 474, figs. 113. The Macmillan Company, New York, 1914 ($2.00). 



THE PLANT WORLD, VOL. 18, NO. 6, 1915 



LI 



t 



