CURRENT LITERAL Ue: 
BOOK REVIEWS. 
Agricultural botany." 
THOSE practically interested in the cultivation of plants have felt the 
need of a text-book of botany adapted to their wants. They are interested 
in the science of botany only in so faras it applies to their operations, and the 
reat mass of material in current text-books is of little value tothem. It is 
noticeable, also, that as the science advances the authoritative text-books deal 
more and more with recondite matters, and are growing away from the needs 
of the practical cultivator. The appearance of a text-book definitely designed 
to meet the needs of this class, therefore, is very timely, especially when it is 
so excellent as the one written by Professor Percival. The author has had 
many years of experience in teaching and lecturing to students, practical 
farmers, and gardeners, and is in a position to select his material wisely. 
hat is equally to the point, he is evidently in touch with what is best 
in the science of botany; and while captious criticism might point out 
omissions which destroy the philosophical perspective of the science, an 
deny to the reader any adequate conception of the plant kingdom as a whole, 
one cannot help but feel that this is an ideal demand which the constituency 
addressed have no time or inclination to realize. The author's style is that 
of a good teacher, the presentation being clear and logical. 
This book is divided into eight parts. The first deals with the gross 
Structures of seed plants, the topics being seeds, the root, the vegetative shoot, 
the leaf, the flower, the inflorescence, and the fruit. The account is clear and 
simple, and the terminology is not excessive, as is too often the case. The 
emphasis, of course, is laid upon the plants and structures most commonly 
met in cultivation. One of the excellent features of the book is the con- 
Stant insistence upon practical demonstration and experiment, and these are 
suggested at every step. The second part deals with histology, and includes 
a brief but adequate and up-to-date presentation of the cell, cell division, 
tissues, and the anatomy of root, stem, and leaf. 
: The third part is devoted to plant physiology, and it is a pleasure to meet 
in such a book a good presentation of the formal aspects of the subject. Per- 
haps they are too formal, but the experiments are numerous and usually 
good, and well adapted to the constituency. The only criticism which seems 
a CIVAL, JOHN: Agricultural Botany, theoretical and practical. 8vo. pp. 
xi + 798, illustrated. New York: Henry Holt & Co. 1900. $2.50. 
Igor] 67 
