Notes, Communications and Reviews. 133 



The section on live stock makes excellent reading, and the 

 omission of descriptions of the individual breeds of live stock 

 leaves room for the inclusion of much more important practical 

 information and hints on general management ; a chapter on 

 farriery makes a valuable addition to the pages on horses. 

 Following on the management of live stock, the subject of 

 foods and feeding is dealt with. Much useful information is 

 given, but on pages 286 and 292 there appears to be some 

 confusion between the terms '' carbohydrates " and " hydro- 

 carbons " ; also on page 294, where a comparison is made 

 between green foods and cake, the statements made regarding 

 starch equivalents can only lead to perplexity in the minds of 

 readers who do not already understand the starch equivalent 

 method of valuation of foods. Exception might also be taken 

 to the suggested allowance of cake and meal (12 to 16 lb. per 

 day) for a bullock during the last two months of fattening 

 (page 233), and to the method suggested for calculating the 

 ration for a cow in milk (page 299). The latter is much too 

 complicated for the average farmer, and if followed in practice 

 would result in underfeeding, as the allowance of albuminoids 

 is insuflBcient for five gallons of milk. 



The difficult subjects of Farm Buildings and Machinery are 

 very fully dealt with, and many useful hints are given on the 

 adaptation of old buildings to new uses. Both farmer and 

 student will study the pages on farm engines and outdoor and 

 indoor machinery with interest and profit, while the sections 

 on farm labour and farm book-keeping are instructive and full 

 of practical suggestions. 



The importance of Dairying as a branch of Agriculture is 

 fully recognised, and much care has been devoted to the 

 preparation of the various chapters on this subject, and the 

 information given on butter-making and the manufacture of 

 the different kinds of cheese is superior to that usually found 

 in books not specially devoted to Dairying. Where so much 

 detailed information is given, perfect accuracy can scarcely be 

 expected, and it is probably only by an oversight that it is 

 stated that a cow is at her maximum for quantity and quality 

 after the third to fifth calf. It is now well established that 

 cows give their richest milk after the fii'st calf. 



The general reader will study with interest the section on 

 Horticulture ; the chapter on plant life is much more technical 

 than any other in the book, dealing in an instructive and 

 interesting manner with the structure and function of the 

 various parts of plants. Occasionally definite statements are 

 made on points where experts are by no means agreed, and in 

 the pages on Mendelism it is scarcely correct to suggest that 



