148 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



on the " European Grape in Eastern America " and on " Grapes under 

 Glass " will repay careful perusal by those interested in the cultivation of 

 grapes under glass in this country. 



The work deals with the cultivation of the grape in North America in 

 all its aspects. After an interesting chapter on the history of the domestica- 

 tion of the grape, the environmental factors determining the distribution 

 of grape-growing regions are considered. The various horticultural questions 

 of propagation, pruning, training and fertilisers are next adequately 

 dealt with ; while further chapters are devoted to pests of grape vines, 

 marketing, products of the grape and grape-breeding. The volume 

 concludes with a long chapter of Ii8 pages devoted to a description of dif- 

 ferent varieties of the grape. 



The book thus forms a complete manual of grape-growing in America, 

 and constitutes a useful addition to the literature of fruit-growing. 



W. S. 



On the Interpretation o! Phenomena of Phyllotaxis. By A. H. Church 

 M.A. [Pp. 57, with i8 figures.] (Oxford: University Press, 1920. 

 Price 3s. 6d. net.) 



This work constitutes the sixth number of the Oxford Botanical Memoirs 

 edited by Dr. Church. It consists of an exposition of the author's Equi- 

 potential Theory of Phyllotaxis, which, as he truly says, " should be capable 

 of transference to the theory of the construction of all lateral growths included 

 in living organisms under the term ' appendages.' " 



A summary of the theory is made from the sources in which Dr. Church 

 has more fully stated them, the points in favour of the theory are placed 

 before us, and also the difficulties in the way of its acceptance. A widening 

 of the base of its applicability is also attempted in a short review of the 

 position and formation of the appendages in the Lower Plants, e.g. the Algae, 

 and also by a consideration of certain features in the organisation of some 

 of the Foraminifera. Attention to these was first drawn by Van Iterson, 

 and the author claims them as falling into line with his general thesis. 



The whole forms a very stimulating presentation of phenomena of basal 

 importance in hving organisms, and is a valuable addition to this admirable 



^^"^^' E. M. Cutting. 



Productive Agriculture. By John H. Gehrs, B.S., M.S., Associate Professor 

 of Agriculture of the Warrensburg State Normal School, Warrens- 

 burg, Mo. [Pp. xii+ 444.] (New York : The Macmillan Company, 

 1918.) 



The author has set out to write a book suitable for elementary students 

 which shall treat of agriculture from the point of view of production, so 

 that special stress is laid on such questions as the use of more prolific 

 varieties, the improvement of the soil, the use of pure-bred stock, farm 

 management and economical feeding of stock. The contents are divided 

 into five sections : farm crops, animal husbandry, soils, horticulture and 

 farm management. These questions are dealt with particularly from the 

 point of view of the north-central region of the United States. The book 

 is thus not specially fitted for use in this country ; nevertheless, the author 

 has succeeded in including so much fundamental information into a small 

 compass, that the greater part of the book may be read with profit by 

 students of any northern temperate region. The absence of any reference 

 to barley, except in the preface, will probably be regarded as the most 

 serious deficiency from the English point of view. 



The book is well and brightly written ; there is scarcely a superfluous 

 word in it. W. S. 



