96 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



is that which every up-to-date gardner must possess. The 

 book contains more than 500 pages and costs $2.00 net. It 

 is published by MacMillan's. 



"Agriculture Through the Laboratory and School Gar- 

 den" by Jackson and Daugherty is not a new book, having 

 appeared first in 1905 but that it continues to be a popular text 

 for school courses in agriculture is attested by the appearance 

 of a second edition recently. The book is logical in expecting 

 the student to find out things for himself and carefully worked 

 out directions for experiment are scattered plentifully through 

 the book while the text discusses the subject in general. Ad- 

 ded to the matter of a purely agricultural nature is consider- 

 able material on milk and its care, farm animals, principles of 

 feeding and the like. Following each chapter are references 

 to other works bearing on the subjects. The book will be very 

 useful to young teachers as it wastes no space in mere words. 

 The experimental work will be most helpful. The book is pub- 

 lished by the Orange Judd Company and costs $1.50. 



The Cultivation of Fungi. — In America the only at- 

 tempt at cultivating edible fungi seems to have been directed to- 

 w^ard growing the familiar mushroom. In the Old World, 

 however, more attention is given to growing other species. 

 According to Scientific American the black truffle {Tuber 

 melanosponnn ) is successfully propogated by grinding up ripe 

 specimens with water into a paste which is spread on green 

 hazel or oak leaves and buried in the oak forests. Similar re- 

 sults attended the planting of the craterelle {Craterellns nri- 

 cleatus). It would seem highl\ desirable tliat experiments be 

 started in this country with a view to producing such fungi as 

 the shaggy mane mushroom (Coprinus comatus) and various 

 pufif-balls, especially the giant puff-ball (Calvatia gigantea). 

 The puff-balls keep well, are in good condition for a long time 

 and afford a large amount of palatable food. 



