284 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



study of the Congo species of Dioscorea, a genus of which the 

 economic importance justifies the seventeen plates employed 

 to illustrate them ; also many descriptions of new species, to- 

 gether with new localities for known ones, belonging to most 

 of the natural orders of plants found in the Congo territory. We 

 do not like such terms as " Labiataceoe " and " Compositaceae " ; 

 too high a price may be paid for a uniform system of nomenclature. 



S. M. 



Forestry for Woodmen. By C. 0. Hanson. Pp. 222. With 12 

 plates and 15 text-figures. Clarendon Press. Price 5s. net. 



A manual of forestry in half-a-dozen bulky and costly volumes 

 is not only a contradiction in terms but is also obviously not to be 

 possessed by mere woodmen. The woodman's requirements are, 

 moreover, in many respects different from those of the forester. 

 It is desirable that he should know the main principles upon 

 which his practice depends, and all that he can as to the practical 

 rearing and tending of woodland and the measurement and utili- 

 zation of its produce. Matters of forest policy, working plans 

 and finance are rather the province of the higher forest officer. 

 As, however, the well-trained and experienced woodman may 

 aspire to rise in his calling, Mr. Hanson may be justified in 

 devoting one chapter in this well-planned little book to such 

 topics. His book was, he tells us, first drawn up for the use of 

 the School of Forestry for Working Men in the Forest of Dean ; 

 and we think that, in the recent revival of the study of forestry, 

 no work has been produced in this country that so meets the 

 requirements of such students as does this. It makes no pretence 

 to originality, the preface modestly acknowledging indebtedness 

 to Sir W. Schlich's Manual, Mr. Pinchot's American Primer, Dr. 

 Nisbet's edition of Brown's Forester, Mr. Simpson's New Forestry, 

 and other gjprks ; but, while fully adapted to English requirements, 

 the book ha - received from its writer's thorough training a scientific 

 character which is independent of mere locality. Starting with 

 the life of a tree, it goes on to deal with climate and soil, pure and 

 mixed woods, nursery management, planting, methods of treat- 

 ment and protection from destructive animals and plants, frost, 

 drought, storm and fire, fencing, draining, felling, &c, with brief 

 but adequate sylvicultural notes on the species commonly grown 

 in England. 



Printing and binding are creditable to the Clarendon Press, 

 and the book is certainly inexpensive. Cheap as it is, however, 

 we doubt whether the photographic illustrations of woodlands, 

 which must add appreciably to its price, serve any really useful 

 purpose that is not fully met by the text. 



We hope that the book will find its way, not only into the 



hands of the woodmen in our larger State woodlands, but also 



into the libraries of secondary and even primary schools in 



wooded regions. Its sixteen chapters would furnish themes for a 



useful course of as many lectures. /-. o -d 



J G. o. Boulger. 



