A Civic Biology. George W. Hunter. 432 pp., illustrated. American Book 

 Company. 



"Boys have different biological interests from girls, and children in rural 

 schools wish to study different topics from those in congested districts in large 

 communities. The time has come when we must frankly recognize these 

 interests, and adapt the content of our courses." So says the author in his 

 preface; but, unfortunately, he adapts his course not to boys apart, nor to 

 girls apart, but to "boys and girls living in an urban community." Therefore, 

 some things that have hitherto been little in evidence in high school courses 

 in biology, garbage cans, and sleeping porches, Petri dishes, test tubes and 

 hypodermics, etc., loom large in this book, and three of the four portraits 

 shown in the concluding chapter on "some great names in Biology" are those 

 of Jenner, Pasteur, and Koch. 



It is a good book, clearly written, well printed, well illustrated. It is above 

 all else practical. It is intended to teach city pupils, rather than to teach 

 biology. Terminology is reduced to an absolute minimum; as, for example, 

 when the claws of a bee's foot may not be called claws, but are referred to as 

 the "tiny hooks at the end" (p. 29). 



Fortunately, though wild nature is eliminated from this book, there are a 

 few things left in it to remind the youthful urbanite that his means of liveli- 

 hood are still derived from Mother Earth. J. G. N. 



The Apple. Albert E. Wilkinson. 492 pages. Ginn & Company. Price $2. 



The author has attempted to bring order out of chaos of the great mass of 

 literature dealing with the many and varied phases of apple-growing. He 

 has endeavored to prepare a single volume "that would present in a logical 

 manner the most essential of the recent practical ideas and methods" of the 

 successful cultivation of this most important fruit. There are thirty-eight 

 chapters in the book, of which the first deals With the selection of the site of 

 an orchard and the last with the varieties which are desirable to plant. Be- 

 tween these extremes there are chapters dealing with "orchard heating," 

 "planting," "fertilizing," "cultivation," "irrigation and drainage," "insects," 

 "diseases," "spraying," "packing," "grading," "marketing," "renovating 

 neglected orchards," "propagation" and other subjects. Certainly the list 

 of subjects discussed cover the essential features of apple-growing and the 

 information seems to be of a practical nature. 



The chapter on insects is of special interest to the writer. The author has 

 given a readable account of such notable pests of the apple as the codling 



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