38 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



condiments and beverages. We notice a number of errors in 

 the names of plants, but otherwise the book is above criticism. 

 It contains 540 pages and 75 illustrations and is published by 

 P. IMakiston's Son & Co., Philadelphia, at $1.60 net. 



There are fads in education as well as elsewhere. For a 

 long time, Nature Study was the center of attraction and when 

 interest in this waned, general science oozed in. Out of this 

 latter has sprung a new fad — the "project" or "problem" 

 method of teaching a science. No longer are such courses 

 supposed to begin at a definite point and end at another equally 

 definite, but the student is now expected to take little samples, 

 here and there, in the hope that if one does not suit, he may 

 perhaps fancy another. To meet the demand for nibbling 

 courses, books are beginning to appear. The majority are 

 written by experts and if, in time, this phase of education goes 

 the way of so many others, it will not be the fault of the 

 book-makers. Of a slightly different character from the type 

 of book indicated, though still capable of being used in "pro- 

 ject" coures, is W. L. Eikenberry's "Problems in Botany," 

 a small volume containing 118 exercises dealing with various 

 phases of plant life. The exercises are well selected and 

 cover the usual range of botanical experimentation, but in the 

 opinion of the reviewer, a considerable number might have 

 been omitted as of no especial significance while for some 

 others shorter and clearer methods could have been substituted 

 with advantage. On the whole the book is a decided addition 

 to botanical literature and good teachers will find many fea- 

 tures in it to commend. Used with a good text it should 

 produce results. In the directions for work, we feel that too 

 much emphasis is placed in the notebook. The fact th.it the 

 student can set up and carry out an experiment to its proper 

 conclusion ought to be .sufficient indication that he understands 

 the WDik. No single thing so disgusts children with cour.ses 

 in .science as the everlasting marking time with pen and ink. 

 The 1)n(ik is imblished by Ginn & Co. at 75 cents. 



