REVIEWS OF BOOKS. 329 



REVIEWS OF BOOKS. 



Two New Books on Forestry. 



We are always glad to welcome any useful additions to the 

 literature of Forestry, and the two volumes before us undoubtedly 

 fall within the scope of this definition. "The New Forestry," 

 by Mr John Simpson (published by Pawson & Brailsford, of 

 Sheffield), is written by a man who has largely emancipated 

 himself from the traditional methods of the old school, and if 

 his writings bear evidence of only a superficial acquaintance 

 with the Continental system, whose praises he sounds, he has 

 at least made a long stiide forward on the way to improvement. 

 The other volume, entitled "Our Forests and Woodlands" (Dent 

 and Co., London), is a product of the facile pen of Dr John 

 Nisbet, who is one of our most thorough exponents of the 

 German School of Forestry ; but with his experience mellowed 

 and tempered by long service in the East, and by no inconsider- 

 able acquaintance with British conditions. 



In point of extent, illustrations, quality of paper and binding, 

 Dr Nisbet's volume is far ahead of the other, and yet it is issued 

 at less than one-third of the price. It is not for us to attempt to 

 explain why Mr Simpson and his publishers have seen fit to charge 

 twenty-five shillings for a book that many houses would have issued 

 at five or six shillings ; but at least this may be said, that the price 

 will very materially limit its circulation, and this is to be regretted, 

 in view of the stimulating character of much of its contents. 



In a work with any pretensions to be regarded as authoritative, 

 the opinions expressed are the concern of the author alone, but 

 inaccuracies in regard to matters of fact may seriously affect the 

 reader, especially if he be a young student who is incapable of 

 recognising errors when they confront him. In the list of species 

 on page 91 of "The New Forestry," there are many mistakes in 

 the spelling of the scientific names; and elsewhere throughout 

 the text the spelling of foreign words, e.g., Weimar (p. 152), and 

 Kaltenbjch (p. 185), suffers at the hands of the author. Through- 

 out the book reference is frequently made to the yield of German 

 forests, and no indication is given that in such cases the cubical 



