February 24, 19 10] 



NA TURE 



493 



looms larger than it should, and there is a tendency to 

 ignore methods not practised there. Tlius, in a general 

 account of coffee, the " drv " method of preparation 

 should certainly be described, considering the extent 

 to which it is employed in Brazil, by far the greatest 

 cofTee-producing country. The Brazilian method of 

 preparing Para rubber is not referred to. Similarly, 

 very scanty attention is given to crops, e.g. maize, 

 Guinea corn or sorghum, and cassava, to confine 

 attention to food-stuffs which are very important over 

 large areas of the tropics, although, it is true, but little 

 grown in Ceylon. In some cases condensation has been 

 carried so far as to render the account quite inade- 

 quate, and sometimes even misleading-. To give one 

 instance, in the chapter on rubber we find : "" Lagos 

 rubber, Fitiitumia elastica. has been a little planted in 

 some of the British West Indian and West African 

 coIonie>. but as yet no rubber has been exported." 



be quoted, and they detract considerably from what 

 is otherwise a good, though somewhat restricted, 

 survey of tropical agricultural industries. 



Part iii., on "Agriculture in the Tropics (General)," 

 and part iv., on the "Organisation of Agriculture," 

 are distinctly interesting and valuable. They present 

 th'i chief economic problems, including agricultural 

 education and cooperative movements, with which 

 the planters, administrative officers, and others 

 have to deal, and suggest general lines along 

 which the development of a tropical agricul- 

 tural country should proceed to secure the 

 best permanent advantage to both peasant and 

 capitalist planter. These sections are well worth the 

 careful study of all engaged in practically dealing 

 with, or merely interested in, the broad administrative 

 pioblems of the tropics. Such study should prevent 

 much loss of time and money from misdirected efforts. 



From this, the sole reference to this plant, no one 

 would realise that the tree is wild over wide areas of 

 West Africa, and yields large quantities of exported 

 rubber, and, moreover, that it is also wild in Uganda, 

 whence a moderate quantity of excellent rubber has 

 recently come on the market. 



Striking examples of a lack of perspective are met 

 ■with in the very brief notes on dyes and tans. In the 

 former, after describing indigo and annatto, we find a 

 •list of "other dye stuffs of more or less local import- 

 ance," in which occurs logwood! Cutch, from Acacia 

 Catechu, is described as "perhaps the most import- 

 ant" of tanning substances, but why even in the brief 

 •list of other tans is there no mention of mvrabolans 

 (fruits of Terminalia, spp.)? Both are Indian tans, 

 and in iqoS. whilst the export of cutch was worth 

 approximately ioo,oooL, that of myrabolans was 

 nearly 400,000/. Several other similar instances might 

 NO. 2104, VOL. 82] 





and help to secure that continuity of policv without 

 which even the best intentioned efforts come to 

 naught. A book which presents these fundamental 

 problems, and deals with then, so well as Dr. Willis 

 has done here, is a noteworthy addition to the litera- 

 ture of tropical agriculture. W. G. F. 



REFORM OF THE CALENDAR. 

 CENOR C. A. HESSE, of Iquique, Peru, sends us 

 •-' an ingenious scheme for what he calls the 

 reform of the calendar. It has, however, nothing to 

 do with the Julian or Gregorian stvles, or anv modifi- 

 cation of the latter, now used' in all Christian 

 countries except those of the Oriental Church, which 

 still follow the Julian usage. But it is a plan, similar 

 to one put forth in England a year or two ago, for 

 making the days of the week and month corr'espond 



