Books and Current Literature. 255 



think we ought to give such phenomena (as aggressiveness of 

 plants introduced into new locaUties) more consideration as they 

 reveal traits that transcend all of our sterotyped and inadequate 

 theories. The old gardener often treats his plants as if he re- 

 garded them as sentient beings. Perhaps we err in considering 

 them too much as machines. * * * it seems inevitable 

 that a new race of systematic botanists will have to be developed 

 to devote themselves to cultivated plants. We need far more of 

 the facts that can only be gathered in rigid pedigreed breeding 

 experiments. The field of botany in agriculture has not been 

 clear. At the present time it has neither direction nor aggressive- 

 ness. What we really need to work on is the science of the 

 breeder's art and the science of the gardener's art. At present, 

 the art is far in advance of the science. But by devoting our 

 science to agriculture and having faith in its potency, no man can 

 foretell the outcome." 



"Little Gardens for Boys and Girls," by Myrta Margaret 

 Higgins is a valuable book recently from the press of Houghton, 

 Mifflin Company. It has 150 pages and the price is $1.10. 

 While it is written expressly for children, it contains many ex- 

 cellent suggestions for parents and teachers. There are a few 

 well selected illustrations which, with the clear style of the au- 

 thor and the large type, commend it to children. Many a child 

 who is led to make this book a companion will be kept from 

 roaming the streets because of the interest to be found in a little 

 piece of ground in the rear of a city home, and conversely, city 

 lots that were formerly weed wastes may become things both 

 useful and beautiful. It is to be hoped that the book will have 

 its merited sale. 



Massee has published a work entitled "Diseases of Culti- 

 vated Plants and Trees" (602 pp., The Macmillan Co., $2.25), 

 which is a full handbook of the fungous diseases of plants, with 

 chapters on such subjects as epidemics, dissemination of diseases, 

 fungicides and spraying. Under each disease is given an ac- 

 count of the general morphology of the organism by which it is 

 caused, together with a description of the symptoms and treat- 

 ment. A particularly helpful feature of the book is the litera- 



