BOOKS AND WRITERS 



An author who has worked over the materials in his 

 book for more than forty years ought to be well enough in- 

 formed on the subject to make an authoritative and compre- 

 hensive text. This is the situation with regard to Dr. Wil- 

 liam Trealease's "Winter Botany," a companion volume to his 

 "Plant Materials for Decorative Gardening," issued in 1917. 

 The new volume is a guide to the woody plants in the winter 

 condition, but it would be a great error to regard this little vol- 

 ume as a mere Key. As a matter of fact, the author has crowd- 

 ed into the more than 400 pages an amount of information that 

 is truly astonishing. No less than a thousand species comprised 

 in 326 genera and 93 families are discussed. From this it 

 will be seen that the book is not confined to our own woody 

 plants, but includes practically all that may be encountered in 

 any part of the United States, exotic as well as native. An 

 impcjrtant feature is found in the illustrations drawn in a 

 manner rather superior to those found in the ordinary manuals. 

 The keys are based on bud, leaf-scar and bark characteristics 

 and extensive reference is made to the literature relating to 

 each species, including other illustrations. Most interesting 

 tf) the re\ie\ver, however, are the many interesting observa- 

 tions appended to the descriptions. These .are not the con- 

 ventional "popular notes" found in l)0()ks for the novice, but 

 are observations of the highest scientific importance. Any 

 person interested in the woody plants will find this an exceed- 

 ingly useful volume. It is for s.ale by the author at the L"ni- 

 versity of Illinois. L'rbana, 111., at $2.50. 



Several new titles have recently been added to the series 

 of "Rural Manuals" under the editorship of K. 11. Bailey. 

 One of these is the "Manual of Tree Diseases" by Dr. W. 



