122 PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON AGRICULTURAL GRASSES, ETC. 



Asa Gray ; and few have embodied in their writings so much of 

 the personal characteristics which attached to their author. Asa 

 Gray's essays and sketches are reflections of the man who wrote 

 them ; and this is especially the case with the biographical contri- 

 butions, extending over a period of nearly thirty years. Most, if 

 not all, of the botanists commemorated were personally known to 

 their biographer, many of them intimately so ; and this gives an 

 especial and critical value to these memoirs. 



The essays are well calculated to show the wide grasp wbich 

 Gray had of Botany as a whole. It may be said that there is an 

 absence of anything indicating bis sympathies with the leading 

 school of the present day ; but Gray was a systematist and general 

 botanist, ratber than an examiner of minute points of structure. 

 The essay on " European Herbaria " has a special interest for us ; 

 those on the characteristics of the American flora are useful. The 

 "Notes on the History of Helianthus tuberosus" are perhaps some- 

 what out of place here, as they mainly consist of a letter from Mr. 

 Trumbull to Asa Gray. 



The reviews, to which the first volume is devoted, extend from 

 Lindley's 'Vegetable Kingdom,' in 1836, to Ball's 'Flora of the 

 Peruvian Andes,' 1885 ; they embrace the works of chief importance 

 in various branches of the science which have appeared between 

 those dates, as well as some of less value, which serve as texts for 

 conveying much useful and interesting information. 



The last sentence of Prof. Sargent's preface, in which he speaks 

 of "the second and third volumes of this series" is not quite easy to 

 understand: the subjects allotted to these two being apparently 

 combined in the second of the volumes before us. A third selection 

 would be welcomed by many ; but if, as we think, such is not now 

 contemplated, we can heartily congratulate Prof. Sargent on the 

 complete representation of Asa Gray's work which he has given in 

 the volumes before us. 



Practical Observations on Agricultural Grasses and other Pasture 

 Plants. By Willluh Wilson, jun. London : Simpkin, 

 Marshall & Co. 3 889. Pp. 117. Price Is. 6d. 



The author of this work is, we gather from its pages, a practical 

 farmer. He deprecates the services of men not practically acquainted 

 with the duties of the farm. They have by their " non -practical 

 suggestions " raised a prejudice against science among agriculturists. 

 Mr. Wilson comes to the rescue, and he points out "the value of 

 practical men taking up any branch connected with agriculture, 

 which fact is becoming to be properly recognised by agriculturists, 

 as well as recognising the great neglect which, as a rule, has 

 occurred in the matter of personal enquiry, and the consequent loss 

 as regards condition of soil, value of properly-selected grasses and 

 other plants, and the loss resulting from it of manure which the 

 roots and other decayed parts form, which may be described as the 

 manure received by natural causes." 



In the record of his observations and experiences there is not a 

 little confused writing like the sentence quoted. We fear Mr. 



