THE PLANT WOELD 159 



BOOK REVIEWS. 



Yearbook, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1900. Government 



Printing Office. 



This book, which has recently appeared, contains several articles 

 of interest to botanists, nearly all of them being written, however, from 

 a practical or economic standpoint. Besides the report of the Secre- 

 tary and the Appendix, the volume contains thirty-one articles, being 

 five more than were contained in the preceding volume. All but one 

 of these articles were prepared by employees of the Department, and 

 represent the result of original work, with the exception of those pre- 

 pared in the Division of publications. The book is profusely illus- 

 trated, containing eighty-seven plates, nine of which are colored, and 

 eighty-eight text figures. An excellent portrait of Mr. William Saun- 

 ders, late Superintendent of Gardens and Grounds of the Department 

 occupies the frontispiece. Of the various articles pertaining to botani- 

 cal subjects the following may be mentioned as of particluar interest : 

 Forest Extension in the Middle West, by William L. Hall, discussing 

 the subject of tree planting on the western plains, where so much val- 

 uable work of this sort is being undertaken by the Bureau of Forestry; 

 Fungus Diseases of Forest Trees, by Herman von Schrenk, describing 

 the more common forms of fungi destructive to trees and the manner in 

 which the trees become infected; Some Poisonous Plants of the North- 

 ern Stock Eanges, by V. K. Chesnut, describing and illustrating some 

 of the most important plants which poison stock on the range, and the 

 methods of treating stock which have been affected by them; and Our 

 Native Pasture Plants, by F. Lamson-Scribner, containing an account 

 of some of the most important native pasture grasses of the United 

 States, with illustrations of most of them. A very important and use- 

 ful feature of the work is the Appendix, which contains a large amount 

 of useful information to agricultiTralists. The value and usefulness of 

 this publication of the Department is being increased each year, and it 

 will be an important factor in promoting the development of scientific 

 agriculture in this country. As the Secretary points out in his report, 

 the Department of Agriculture differs from the other Departments of 

 the government in that the appropriations made for its use may prop- 

 erly be regarded as investments rather than as expenses, since they 

 yield direct returns by adding to the wealth of the country. — C. L. S. 



