October 3, 19 12] 



NATURE 



IM 



THREE BOOKS ON AGRICULTURE. 

 (i) Fertilisers and CropS; or, The Science and 

 Practice of Plant-Feeding. By Dr. L. L. Van 

 Slyke. Pp. xiv+734. (New York: Orange 

 Junn Company ; London: Kegan Paul and Co. , 

 Ltd., 1912.) Price 2.50 dollars. 



(2) Farm Dairying. By Laura Rose. Pp. 303. 

 (London: T. Werner Laurie, n.d.) Price 6s. 

 net. 



(3) Fungoid Diseases of Agricultural Plants. Bv 

 Prof. Jakob Eriksson. Translated from the 

 Swedish by Anna Molander. Pp. xv-f2o8. 

 (London: Baillifere, Tindall and Cox, 1912.) 

 Price 75. 6d. net. 



(i) ' I ^HE system of soil depletion as practised 

 JL in the United States of America and in 

 our colonies is beginning to receive serious con- 

 sideration from the agricultural economist. The 

 continuous growth of grain crops and the failure 

 to make any adequate returns of plant food to 

 the soil soon lead not only to a lack of food 

 reserve, but also to the loss of those organic com- 

 pounds which are of such importance in the pro- 

 duction of crops in dry regions. This in itself 

 is deplorable enough, but even where manure is 

 to be had much of its fertilising value is wasted. 

 Dr. van Slyke puts forward the interesting com- 

 putation that the annual loss caused by the care- 

 less treatment of the manure produced by the 

 different farm animals in the States is equivalent 

 in value to an annual wheat crop in that country, 

 or to 700,000,000 dollars. 



With a view to minimise this and similar losses 

 caused by haphazard use of artificial manures, this 

 book has been written, and is designed to meet 

 the requirements of farmers and classes in agricul- 

 tural colleges and high schools. The treatment 

 is such as to lay a foundation in the general prin- 

 ciples relating to soil fertility and plant nutrition, 

 and to stimulate a desire on the part of the reader 

 to know more about the subjects discussed. In 

 this way it would serve as an introduction to 

 special treatises on agricultural chemistry, soil 

 physics, plant physiology, soil bacteriology, &c. 



The four parts of the book each contain a 

 number of chapters under the heading of factors 

 of soil fertility, sources and composition of 

 materials used as fertilisers, factors in the selection 

 of fertilising materials, and the practical use of 

 fertilisers in the growing of individual crops. The 

 last part is distinctly valuable from the grower's 

 point of view. 



The book is copiously illustrated and is to be 

 warmly recommended for anyone interested in the 

 production of farm and garden crops. 



(2) The second publication would appear to be 



NO. 2240, VOL. go] 



intended for a large and general class of readers, 

 viz., the members of farm households. The 

 subject matter is divided into fifty-two chapters, 

 and deals in a brief manner with many ques- 

 tions, not perhaps vital, but incidental to suc- 

 cess and comfort in farming. The book contains 

 advice on the general arrangements of farm build- 

 ings, the care and feeding of the cow, butter- and 

 cheese-making, milk-testing, and the treatment 

 of the common diseases of cattle. In perusing 

 this book one cannot help feeling that much of 

 the space occupied by minor issues might well 

 have been devoted, with much advantage, to a 

 more detailed treatment of farm operations ; for 

 instance, the mixing of limewash is given as much 

 prominence as the discussion of feeding rations. 

 The book is well illustrated and might possibly 

 conduce to a better understanding of farm and 

 dairy work. 



(3) Prof. Eriksson's work will be welcomed 

 by agriculturists and horticulturists as a valuable 

 contribution to our literature on the subject. It 

 is intended, primarily, as a practical guide for 

 planters and to enable them to recognise, prevent 

 and battle with diseases often occurring in prac- 

 tice. Bacterial and fungal diseases of common 

 farm and garden crops are admirably described 

 and preventive and remedial measures are treated 

 in detail. .\ special chapter deals with unexplored 

 diseases, whilst a useful appendix of diseases, 

 arranged according to the host plant, is included. 



TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY. 



(1) The Land of Goshen and the Exodus. By Sir 

 Hanbury Brown, K.C.M.G. Second edition. 

 Pp. g2 + 2 maps. (London: Edward Stanford, 

 igi2.) Price 3^. net. 



(2) Rambles in the Pyrenees and the Adjacent 

 Districts, Gascony, Pays de Foix and Roussillon. 

 By F. Hamilton Jackson. Pp. xii+419. (Lon- 

 don : John Murray, 1912.) Price 21s. net. 



(3) The Oxford Country. Its Attractions and 

 Associations described by several authors. Col- 

 lected and arranged by R. T. Giinther. Pp. 

 xvi + 319. (London: John Murray, 1912.) 

 Price 75. 6d. net. 



(4) Man andhis Conquest of Nature. By Dr. M. 1. 

 Newbigin. Pp. viii + 183. (London : A. and C. 

 Black, 1912.) Price 2s. (Black's School 

 Geography Series.) 



(i) QIR H.^NBURY BROWN takes the oppor- 

 Cj tunitj' of this second edition of his study 

 of the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to 

 deal with some of the criticisms met with by the 

 first edition. The subject is one which has re- 

 ceived attention from a number of writers in 



