1898] Book Notices. 141 



This book may be used as a text-book in High Schools and 

 Public Schools. It would be well indeed for Canada if its use were 

 made compulsory in every school in the land. The great truths laid 

 before the reader are presented in a simple straightforward man- 

 ner intelligible to all. The subjects are so skilfully arranged and 

 concisely stated that a surprising amount of accurate informa- 

 tion is given in this small octavo of 200 pages. The value of this 

 simple knowledge to practical men is not, I believe, overstated 

 when I aver that if all the farmers in Canada would read this 

 little work, as they most certainly should, its appearance would 

 mark an epoch in the history of the Dominion, which would be 

 made manifest to all by an enormous increase in the crops and 

 wealth of the whole country. 



The scope of the work is shown by the following brief epi- 

 tome of subjects : Part I. treats of the Plant, its development, 

 structure, food and functions ; Part II., Soil, its nature and 

 treatment ; Part III., Crops of the Field ; Part IV., The Garden, 

 Orchard and Vineyard ; Part v.. Live Stock and Dairying ; 

 Part VI., Bees, Birds, Forests, Roads and the Home. 



In these different sections the insect and fungous enemies 

 of crops are treated at some length. This little volume is bound 

 in cloth and well got up; although some of the illustrations are 

 rather roughly executed, it is on the whole most excellent and 

 for the price, 25c , is a marvel of cheapness. 



The Winter Food of the Chickadee, Bulletin 54, New- 

 Hampshire College of Agriculture, by Clarence M. Weed —There 

 is something particularly charming about those confiding little 

 feathered denizens of the woods which brave our cold northern 

 winters and stay to cheer us at a time of the year when there is so 

 little animated life. The Chickadee or Black-capped Tit-mouse 

 {Parus atricapillus) is at once one of the most cheerful as well as 

 one of the most useful of our common native winter birds. What a 

 bright, busy, happy sight is presented by a flock of these little 

 friends ; for they are all friends these little balls of black satin 

 and grey down, they are far too busy and well employed to waste 



