THE BOOK SHELF 321 



Crow and Raven act as introduction and commentary and add greatly to the 

 interest. The ilUistrations by Mr. Bull are graphic and dramatic. 



Plant Materials of Decorative Gardening. William Trelcase, Professor of 

 Botany, University of Illinois. Published by the author at Urbana, 111. 



$1.00. 



This booklet of more than two hundred pages, in its most attractive and 

 durable leather cover, is a miracle of compact information. Its first forty 

 pages are given to keys for determining trees grown for groves, avenues, etc. ; 

 bushes used for shrubberies etc.; small undershrubs used for carpeting and 

 woody climbers. The rest of the booklet is given to graphic, descriptive 

 characterization of the different families, genera and species. 



This book was built up from Dr. Trelease's own experience in teaching his 

 pupils plant materials and surely no book that we have seen contains so much 

 of such practical help as does this. Moreover, it is a book to slip into a pocket 

 conveniently, and its weight is very small considering the vast amount of 

 information which it contains. 



American Forestry. An illustrated magazine about Forestry and kindred sub- 

 jects, published each month by the American Forestry Association, price 

 $3.00 per year, address — Washington, D. C. 

 This periodical ought to be in every school in the United States. It is full 

 of important and interesting information written by experts and the beautiful 

 and edifying illustrations give it peculiar educational value. Everyone now- 

 adays is interested in forestry, or should be, because of its vast importance to 

 the welfare of our country, and I know of no other means of so surely interesting 

 the pupils of sixth grade upward in this fundamental, necessary science, as the 

 chance to look over and read articles in this magazine each month. It is also 

 a great help in nature-study. Dr. Arthur A. Allen contributes regularly 

 original and valuable articles on birds, illustrated with his own superb photo- 

 graphs. There are regularly two pages. Forestry for Boys and Girls, conducted 

 by Professor Bristow Adams, who borders his pages with his own exquisite 

 drawings and fills the pages with charming talk on very live topics. 



Tree Talk. The Tree Talk Publishing Co., Stamford, Conn. vSubscription 

 price, $1.00. 

 There are four issues each year of this excellent and enterprising periodical. 

 It is given over primarily to the preservation of trees and especially to tree 

 surgery. It is well illustrated, clearly written, and full of useful information 

 about the care of trees. In every number there are articles of nature-study 

 interest. For instance, the summer number of 1907 has a very interesting 

 article on the willow weaving industry, also on the date palm, and notes on two 

 famous trees by Katherine S. Nicholas, and illustrated, — one the Judgment 

 Tree of Daniel Boone and the Wethersfield, Conn. Elm, which reaches the 

 height of 1 10 feet and has a spread of 175. Charles Wesley preached under this 

 elm in 1 750. This magazine should be in the reading room of every school, also 

 it will focus the pupils' attention upon what is necessary to preserve shade trees 

 and orchard trees from their enemies, insects, fungi, and wind. 



