444 



NATURE 



[February i, 1912 



being gradually surmounted by the provision of roads 

 and railways, and the most recent enterprise of this 

 kind, when finished, will connect by rail Kano, on 

 the edge of the Sahara, with Baro, on the Niger, and 

 I^ngos, on the coast, and thus open out an immense 

 area of land, much of which, it is believed, will be 

 suitable for growing cotton of the type required in 

 Lancashire mills. The second obstacle is more difficult 

 to deal with, but there are indications in Mr. Dud- 

 geon's hook that advance is b«in>; made. Progress in 

 this particular direction can only be accomplished by the 

 provision of agricultural departments, staffed by men 

 -who are not only skilled agriculturists by training 

 and education, but possess, in addition, adminis- 

 trative and managing abilities of a high order, and 

 are capable of exercising initiative in face of great 

 natural difTiculties. It is fortunate for British West 

 Africa that the days seem to be over when govern- 

 mental assistance to tropical agriculture consisted 

 merely in the provision of a botanical garden, and 

 that the tendency in British West Africa at least, in 

 recent years, has been to replace such institutions by 

 properly equipped and staffed departments of agricul- 

 ture, with their necessary complement of experimental 

 stations. 



Mr. Dudgeon avoids technicalities as far as pos- 

 sible, and for that reason this book will probably 

 appeal, not only to the tropical agriculturist, but also 

 to the Colonial official, whose interest in these matters 

 it is most important to enlist. 



The volume contains five clearly printed and useful 

 coloured maps of the areas dealt with, and is well 

 illustrated by reproductions of photographs of tropical 

 crops and typical native industries. 



OVR BOOK SHELF. 



Modern Science Reader, with Special Reference to 



Chemistry. Edited by Prof. Robert M. Bird. Pp. 



viii+323. (New York : The Macmillan Co. ; 



London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 191 1.) Price 



Ss. net. 

 In this country "Readers" are usually intended for 

 young children. In the States the use of " Readers " 

 extends to a later period of study, and in the present 

 instance the book provides a course for "college men " 

 and general readers. It is a compilation of reprints 

 of modern papers and professional addresses, and is 

 the first volume of a series which, it is hoped, will 

 broaden the outlook of the undergraduates for whom 

 it is intended. In every instance, the authors and 

 publishers of the original papers have consented to 

 their republication in this handy form. The selection 

 of suT)jects has been made with a judicious regard 

 for the taste of the reading public, and as the authors 

 include Crookes, Lodge, Remsen, and Madame Curie, 

 the readers arc provided with stimulating fare. 



We thtnTc that there is a risk that the title " Reader " 

 may militate against the circulation of the book in 

 England. It would be a pity if this should prove to 

 be the case, as all the subjects are worthy of study, 

 and they are very skilfully treated by men who add to 

 eminence as investigators the power of presenting the 

 results of investigation in an attractive, intelligible 

 form. Perhaps the most formidable, though not the 

 least interesting, of the articles is Dr. Howell's 

 address on activators, kinoseg, and hormones. 



The book concludes with suggestions for additional 



NO. 2205, VOL. 88] 



reading:, such as are usually given ho-e to university 

 extension students. Indeed, the book is well suited 

 to those who reap profit from the more advanced 

 extension clas.ses, and is likely to interest a rather 

 wide circle of readers, 1 1 w ould be a good book for a 

 school science library, as it is trustworthy as well as 

 stimulating. Most of the articles made their first 

 appearance within the last three or four years. 



(i) Gardens shown to the Children. By Janet II 

 Kelman and Olive Allen. Described by J. A. Hen- 

 derson. Pp. xii+ 100 + 32 coloured plates. (Lon- 

 don and Edinburgh : T. C. and E. C. Jack, n.d.) 

 Price 2*. 6d. net. (Shown to the Children series.) 

 (2) Roses. By H. R. Darlington. Pp. xiii-h 193 + 8 

 coloured plates. (London and Edinburgh : T. C 

 and E. C. Jack, n.d.) Price, double vol., 2s. 6d. 

 net. (Present-day Gardening series.) 

 (i) As we all know, the love of flowers is with nearly 

 every child almost a passion ; there was no need of a 

 book to create or develop that. The object of the 

 authors of this work has been rather to teach children 

 to take an interest in the methods of cultivation, and, 

 by pictures, to broaden their knowledge of hardy 

 plants in general. To write down to the child's mind 

 on such a subject as gardening is no easy task, but 

 if we imagine the authors' audience to be limited 

 to children who have reached their 'teens, we think 

 they may be congratulated on having accomplished 

 it very well. They give sound cultural directions 

 couched in simple, direct language without putting 

 on the omniscient, patronising air that so many 

 authors of serious children's books think it essential 

 to assume. There are thirty-two coloured plates, somi 

 of which are very good considering the price of the 

 work; others are decidedly painful — to the adult ey< 

 at any rate. But, after all, the best critic of th< 

 book is an intelligent member of the particular audi- 

 ence to whom it is addressed. We put our copy int< 

 the hands of such a one during the recent holidays 

 and his opinion, expressed in vigorous schoolboy idiom 

 was, when translated, found to be distinctly favour 

 able. 



(2) The work on "Roses," by Mr. H. R. Darling 

 ton, admirably maintains the high standard set h] 

 previous authors in this useful series of gardeninj 

 books. The book is in the nature of a double number 

 and the price is slightly increased, but no rosariai 

 will grumble at that. The author gives \er\- excellen 

 directions for the propagation, management, and can 

 generally of roses. Especially useful will be foun< 

 lists of roses for different purposes and situations 

 There is a pleasant chapter by Mrs. Darlington 01 

 " Fragrance in Roses." A rose without fragrance I 

 without half its charm; yet, a short time ago, as onj 

 ascertained for oneself at the big rose shows, i 

 seemed as if that half was in fair way of being los 

 in the rose-raiser's quest for colour and forrn 

 Happily the claims of fragrance are being agaii 

 admitted. The coloured illustrations are some of th 

 best examples of colour-photography hitherto put 

 lished in this series. 



Elementary Integrals: a Short Table. Compiled b 



Dr. T. j. Ta.' Bromwich, F.R.S. Pp. 38. (Cam 



bridge : Bowes and Bowes ; London : Macmillan an 



Co., Ltd.; Glasgow: James Maclehose and Sons 



191 1.) Price IS. net. 



This is a very compact and serviceable vade mecurr 



suitable both for students of physics and for those wh 



are in the earlier stages of pure mathematics; and i 



is arranged on a system which ought to make it 



owner able to find quicklv anything that it contains. ^ 



The work throughout is ver>' elegant, especially i 



I the treatment of integrals involving quadratic irra 



