THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 59 



The J. B. Lippincott Company has selected certain parts 

 of Prof. Scott Elliot's "The Romance of Plant Life" to form 

 one of the books in their "Wonder Series" under the title of 

 "The Wonders of the Plant World." Since the book is of 

 British origin and intended primarily for British readers it 

 will be of less value on this side, nevertheless the amateur 

 botanist, interested in the curious things about plants will find 

 much to his taste in the book. Such titles as Flowers, Forests, 

 Scrub, Deserts, Activity of Vegetables, and Story of the fields, 

 will indicate its scope. The text is very well written but the 

 facts detailed seem in many cases rather jumbled together. 

 The book covers about 150 pages and sells for 75 cents. 



The names of Hilgard and Osterhout on the title page of 

 a work devoted to "Agriculture for Schools of the Pacific 

 Slope" is sufficient guarantee that it is both scientifically accu- 

 rate and up-to-date. It must be the reviewer's task to discuss 

 the arrangement and scope of the book. In this there is much 

 to commend. The early chapters discuss the plants needs and 

 how they are satisfied, the origin of the soil, cultivation, 

 propagation, grafting, etc., and then follow others on insect 

 pests, plant diseases, field crops, and the like. Farm animals 

 are briefly discussed, forcasting the weather is explained and 

 some attention is gives to forestry. Even human physiology 

 comes in for some pages. At first glance the book seems rather 

 too extensive for a season's course, but it has been the de- 

 sign of the authors to give more than is needed for a single 

 course and allow each teacher to select such parts as are suited 

 to the locality. The one thing that militates against the use of 

 this book in schools is the fact that the text is entirely descrip- 

 tive with no directions for pupil or teacher for practice work. 

 If agriculture is to be introduced into our public schools, it 

 should be the aim if every teacher to get as far away from 

 "book-farming" as possible. It cannot be denied that the be- 



