592 



NATURE 



[February 5, 1920 



exact requirements of the British and French 

 markets that the present investigation was under- 

 taken by Mr. Rawlley with the financial assistance 

 of the Carnegie Research Trust and the India Ofhce. 

 In his inquiry the author visited nearly all 

 the principal silk centres in this country and in 

 France, and the chief value of the investigation 

 lies in the fact that it has secured expression of 

 authoritative views of the leading members of the 

 trade. The wide ground covered by the inquiry 

 can be only briefly summarised here. It will be 

 sufficient to say that we have now a consensus of 

 expert opinion that with adequate improvement in 

 quality and reeling (embracing evenness in size, 

 cleanliness, and uniformity of strength), together 

 with improved trade organisation (mainly with a 

 view to regular supplies), there is an assured 

 market in this country, and in France, for Indian 

 raw silks. The comparative success of the im- 

 proved Kashmir silk, especially in the French 

 market, is already a demonstration of this fact. 

 As regards waste silk, and also wild Eri silk, the 

 position is the same ; given better quality, greater 

 cleanliness, and improved trade organisation, 

 there will be no difficulty in finding a European 

 market for these products. The author's inquiry 

 has performed a double function, inasmuch as it 

 indicates the possibilities of a neglected source of 

 supplies to the consumer of raw silk and an unde- 

 veloped outlet for the producer. 



.4 GREAT INDUSTRIALIST. 

 George IVestinghouse : His Life and Achieve- 

 ments. By Francis E. Leupp. Pp. xi-f-304. 

 (London: John Murray, 1919.) Price 15s. net. 



THE author, in his preface, regrets the lack 

 of all those written records on which bio- 

 graphers usually rely for providing interesting per- 

 sonal reminiscences. Despite this, however, he 

 has succeeded in compiling an interesting, 

 straightforward narrative which will be inspiring 

 to youth for the example it sets forth of success 

 achieved by indomitable courage and persistent 

 effort, and of fame won on sheer merit, without 

 aid from influence or wealth. 



Older readers will find the book of interest in 

 so far as it provides an easily assimilated history 

 of many of the important industrial developments 

 of the past generation. On the other hand, they 

 are likely to be disappointed by the feeling that 

 the part accorded by the author to George West- 

 inghouse in bringing about these developments 

 falls short by no small distance of the part he 

 actually played. 



Mr. Leupp frankly admits that he confines him- 

 self to a portrayal of the human side of his subject. 

 He dwells particularly on a certain bigness which 

 NO. 2623, VOL. 104] 



he finds characteristic of George Westinghouse, 

 j who was large-minded and large-hearted, and had 

 the grand style as an inventor, worker, optimist^ 

 and industrialist. " Nothing was ever big enough 

 for him." Splendid as was the human side, and 

 worthy as it is of this record, we share with the 

 author the hope that one day some well-known 

 technologist will compile the record of the great 

 inventions and achievements of the man. 



It is notable that Westinghouse did not excel at 

 school and college, and that during his brief 

 college career he admitted that he might have 

 been more successful if he could have spared 

 his time for study that he spent more pleasurably 

 in investigating machinery and in making 

 mechanical models. His ready grasp of the 

 opportunity that led to his early connection with 

 railroad work, and ultimately to his development 

 of the air brake, with which his name will always 

 be associated ; his investigations into natural gas 

 and its industrial application ; his fair appreciation 

 of the inventions of others and readiness to put 

 them into commercial use ; his fight for alternating 

 electric current ; his care for the welfare of his 

 workpeople ; his buoyancy, carrying him over 

 financial crises of a most disturbing character; 

 the esteem of his workpeople that held them to 

 him through precarious times — these tell the man 

 of unusual industrial capacity, per.sonality, and 

 courage. 



The book does not possess any marked literary 

 value, but all who are not debarred by its high 

 price will find it worthy of perusal. 



FARMING IN THE NEW ERA. 

 (i) A Large State Farm: A Business and Educa- 

 tional Undertaking. By Lt.-Col. A. G. Weigalt 

 and Castell Wrey. Pp. xiii-t-82. (London: 

 John Murray, 1919.) Price 2s. 6d. net. 



(2) The Farmer and the New Day. By K. L. 

 Butterfield. Pp. xi-l-311. (New York: The 

 Macmillan Co. ; London : Macmillan and 

 Co., Ltd., 1919.) Price 85. 6d. net. 



(3) The Sugar-beet in America. By Prof. T. S. 

 Harris. (Rural Science Series.) Pp. xviii-t- 

 342-f xxxii. plates. (New York : The Macmillan 

 Co.; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 

 1919.) Price 2.25 dollars. 



(4) Strawberry-groiving. By Prof. S. ^\■. 

 Fletcher. (Rural Science .Series.) Pp. xxii- 

 325 4-xxiv plates. (New York: The Macmillan 

 Co.; London: Macmillan a^id Co., Ltd., 

 1917.) Price 1.75 dollars. 



(i) A GREAT deal is being spoken and written 



/~V about the new era into which we are 



entering, and agriculturists are wondering what 



I will become of their subject, and incidentally t f 



