1919] CURRENT LITERATURE 173 



following: Shull, C. A., Measurement of the surface forces in soils. Bot. Gaz. 

 62:1-31. 1916. 



The final chapter is devoted to a theoretical discussion of soil analysis. An 

 appendix describes analytical methods used in England. The reviewer believes 

 ■hat the reader should be cognizant of the following discussions of American 

 methods: Bear, F. E., and Salter. R. M., Methods in soil analysis (Technical 

 Bulletin). Bull. 159. West Virginia Agric. Exper. Sta. Morgantown. 1916; 

 Ames, J. W., and Schollenberger, C. J., Liming and lime requirement of soil. 

 Bull. 306. Ohio Agric. Exper. Sta. Wooster. 1916; Truog, E., .\ new test for 

 soil acidity. Bull. 249. Wisconsin Agric. Exper. Sta. Madison. 191 5; Bou- 

 Youcos, Geo. J., and McCool, M. M., The freezing point method as a new 

 means of measuring the concentration of the soil solution directly in the soil. 

 Tech. Bull. 24. Michigan Agric. Exper. Sta. East Lansing. 191 5. — H. L. 

 Walster. 



MINOR NOTICES 



History of phytopathology. — Whetzel,^ in his History of phytopathology, 

 aims "only to set forth in outline what appear to be the most outstanding 

 features in the evolution of the science, and to indicate the proper relation 

 thereto of the men who have chiefly shaped its progress." The chief captions 

 are: (i) The Ancient Era, to the end of the 5th century (5 pp.) ; (2) The Dark 

 Era, 6th to i6th centuries (i p.); (3) The Premodern Era, 1600 to about 1850 

 (19 pp.); (4) The Modern Era, 1853 to about 1906 (65 pp.); (5) The Present 

 Era, 1906 (8 pp.). As is indicated by the page allotment, the first and second 

 topics are treated very briefly, being barely sketched. The third and fifth 

 topics are treated somewhat more fully, while the most page space is given 

 to "The Modern Era." The book is in the main a series of brief biographical 

 sketches, often with portraits, arranged chronologically under the captions 

 indicated. It will be a convenient reference book for those who may need 

 ready access to such biographies. — F. L. Stevens. 



Winter botany. — To supplement his pocket manual of woody plants, 

 already noted in this journal,^ Trelease^ has compiled and published a com- 

 panion volume for use in naming our common trees and shrubs when without 

 foliage. The range, extending to 326 genera and over 1000 species, includes 

 most introduced as well as native woody plants. The notable features of the 

 volume, aside from its convenient pocket size and abundant illustrations from 

 most accurate drawings, are the numerous keys and the many citations of litera- 

 ture dealing with winter characters of the various genera and species. The 



* Whetzel, H. H., An outline of the history of phytopathology, pp. 130. Saun- 

 ders Co. 1918. 



^ Box. Gaz. 65:194. 1918. 



■» Trelease, William, Winter botany. i6mo. pp. 394. figs. 327. Urbana, 111. 

 Published by the author. 1918. $2.50. 



