Review of Hetiewl, ijH/OS. 



The Reviews Reviewed. 



295 



THE CENTUKY MAGAZINE. 



There is a great deal of fiction in the July issue 

 of the Century Magazine- 



DRY FARMING IN THE WEST. 

 Mr. John L. Cowan has an article on a method 

 of producing bountiful crops, without irrigation, in the 

 semi-arid regions of the West. Arid America, he says, 

 covers a territory extending north and south for a 

 distance of 120U miles, and east and west for 1300 

 miles ; that is to say, a territory embracing four- 

 teutlis of the total area of the Republic, or one thou- 

 sand nxilliou acres of land, but in exactly half the 

 area of the United States the rainfall is insufficient 

 for the cultivation of ordinal^ crops. Irrigation alone 

 is not a satisfactory solution of the problem, and the 

 governmeuta of the States are waking up to the fact 

 that some scientific soil-culture or dry-farming method 

 ought to be tried. But it is a continuous process, and 

 eternal diligence is the price which the farmer must 

 pay for his crops. The system is thus described: — 



After the laud lias been deeply ploughed, the nnder-aoil 

 packed by the sub-soil packer, and the surface harrowed 

 and pulverised, a. full year should elapse before the first 

 crop is planted iu order to obtain the best results. This 

 season is needed for the collecting and storing of water. 

 In the winter and early spring heavy snows cover the 

 ground. When these meit in the spring, instead of drain- 

 ing off the surface or evaporating, as they have done tor 

 ages, they sink into the reservoir prepared for their recep- 

 tion. 



As soon as the surface is dry enough the ground is har- 

 rowed over again and again, to place the soil mulch in 

 proper condition. This is repeated after each rain until 

 seeding time arrives. The seed is then drilled in just 

 deep enough to place it below the soil mulch in the moist, 

 compacted soil beneath, causing germination in the quickest 

 possible time. 



After planting, the dry farmer continues to harrow over 

 the ground after each rainfall until the growing crop 

 is too far advanced to iiermit of this without causing it^ 

 destruction. B.y that time it covers the ground fairly 

 well, protecting it to some extent from the sun and hot 

 winds, and making the constant loosening of the soil mulch 

 less imperative. 



No sooner is the crop harvested than preparation begins 

 for the next seeding. 



More ploughing, more harrowing, in other words, 

 persistent stirring of the soil, must be kept up to at- 

 tain good results. 



THE FARM-EXODUS. 

 In another article Mr. L. H. Bailey asks, Why do 

 the Boys leave the Farm? and he puts before his 

 readers the reasons given by the boys for choosing 

 other careers than an agricultural one in America, the 

 cliief one being that farming does not pay. Another 

 reason is the hard physical labour. Some seek social 

 and intellectual ideals which farming cannot offer, but 

 forty per cent, of those to whom the writer addressed 

 a circular letter desire to leave the farm because it 

 is not remunerative. 



CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL. 



In Chambers's Journal for July there are so many 

 articles that it is impossible to notice more than one 

 or two. PROTECTION AGAINST MOSQUITOES. 



Mr. Goi-don Wilson offers some hints on Protection 

 against Mosquitoes, and his remedy is so simple that 

 anyone can easily put it to the tost. He recommends 

 that couinioii vaseline should ho rubbed lightly over 

 the parts of tlie bwly likeJy to be exposed to the mos- 

 quito — face and neck, hands and arms, and feet. As 

 a preventive and a cure of malarial fever be recom- 

 mends Warburg's tincture, prefrrably in liquid form, 

 and as a means for destroying the larvie of the mos- 

 quito ha lias proved the efiiciency of a solution of 

 potash permanganate, 



THE WALKING PARSON. 



The Rev. Arthur Nevile Cooper contributes to the 



same number a short article entitled " A Tramp's 

 Lesson-Book." He is very enthusiaatio about walking 

 tours, and he himself has walked over the greater part 

 of Europe. In a week's holiday he walked through a 

 large part of Belgium, and he walked round Holland 

 in a fortnight. It took him three weeks to tramp 

 across Denmark, and a month to do France from 

 Dieppe to Monte Carlo. In a six weeks' holiday he 

 walked to Rome, and so has done the grand tour in 

 a very interesting way. One great advantage of a 

 tour in a strange land is, he says, that it brings out the 

 best side of you, and this is true in a walking tour. 



THE QUIVER. 



The Quiver opens with the descriptive article on 

 Lord and Lady Aberdeen and their London house. 

 The magazine is more generally interesting than usual, 

 and contains, in addition, a paper on the Nurses' 

 Institution at Mildmay, Stoke Newington, and an- 

 other on the rather well-worn theme of the giants 

 used in Belgian processions. 



. HOW THE POOR PARE. 

 The most entertaining paper is by Mr. Hugh B. 

 Philpott on "How the Poor Fare." He says that 

 poor children make excellent shoppers ; they early 

 become keen bargainers, and are more likely to get 

 round the shopkeeper's heart than the older members 

 of the family. He also says that the low prices ob- 

 taining in shops with poor customers is not due to 

 inferior goods, for in the matter of food the poorest 

 customers are often the most exacting, and it is a 

 great mistake to suppose that in back streets there is 

 no demand for meat, fish, or groceries of the highest 

 quality. Prices, however, are 25 to 30 per cent, less 

 than in more aristocratic establishments, a difference 

 in price mainly due to lower rent, no calling for 

 orders, no delivei-y of goods, and (as a rule) no_ credit. 

 The halfpennyworths and farthingsworths sold in small 

 shops are generally good value for the money. Many 

 poor families, it "is well known, buy in very sniall 

 quantities, sometimes even purchasing their_ little 

 screw of tea for every meal. This Mr. Philpoft does 

 not think so extravagant as most of us have been 

 taught to think it. Small quantities tend to abste- 

 mioasness ; if you have only two teaspoonfuls of tea 

 in the house, you cannot put three in the pot: — 



A working man's wife was asked why she did not pur- 

 chase a large pot of jam instead of many verv small ones. 

 She replied that it was much cheaper to buy the small 

 pots because of the great rapidity with which her husb.and 

 made the jam disappear when a generous supply appeared 

 on the table. 



LA REVUE. 



Jean Ajalbert. who writes the opening article in 

 La Bevue of June 1st. deplores the ignorance and the 

 indifference of Prance with regard to her Colonies. 



INDO-CHINA IX PERIL. 



Afteir the Russo-Japanese War France seemed to 

 wake up and show some concern about the defences 

 of her ten-itories in Asia, but the uneasiness lasted 

 only a few weeks. Yet the occasion was opportune 

 for a discussion of the position of Indo-China. Before 

 the war, generals, admirals, and governors had de- 

 creed that there was nothing to fear : when the war 

 broke out, it was suddenly apparent that the enemy 

 had but to choose his time,' and he would meet with no 

 resistance. 



The contingent of land troops is nothmg to count 

 on; besides, the number is generally reduced by one- 

 third owing to fever and dysentery. And there is no 

 fleet. One vessel is at the arsenal and cannot be re- 



