208 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ MARCH 
The economic products of plants. 
A VERY important addition to the literature on economic botany is a 
book by Dr. A. E. Vogl dealing with the nutritive and otherwise useful vege- 
table products and devoted largely to describing the microscopic structure 
and examination of these substances.” 
The author fully recognizes the fact that a thorough knowledge of gen- 
eral morphology should precede any attempt to obtain definite information 
concerning this special field, and the book presupposes some such knowledge. 
The cereal flours and their preparation are first discussed. The chemi- 
cal and histological characters of the different kinds of flour are stated and 
these used as the basis of excellent tests of identity and quality. Reduction 
of the quality by poor preparation, adulteration, substitution, or by the pres- 
ence of certain fungi receives due attention. That part of this chapter which 
deals with starch and the leading starch producing plants constitutes one of 
the most interesting features of the book. Starch from a large number of 
sources is figured and the differences shown in the size, form, and structure 
of the grains. Though the drawings of these starch grains are somewhat 
schematic, they serve the author’s purpose quite well. At the close of the 
section is a key intended to assist in identification under the microscope of 
various kinds of starch. | 
The second division of the book deals with vegetables. The treatment 
is brief and closes with an especially interesting discussion of the edible fungi. 
Because of the usual environment of the mushrooms, and since they are fre- 
quently inhabited by insects and larve which may secrete poisonous sub- 
stances, Dr. Vog] thinks the desirability of using mushrooms.as food is open 
to quite serious question. A good key for distinguishing the usual edible 
fungi from the poisonous ones is given. 
The subject of fruits is treated briefly while the chapter on arkotische 
Genussmittel deals largely with tea and coffee. Tobacco is omitted from this 
chapter. A very extensive and comprehensive chapter on spices is followed 
by the closing chapter on microscopical tests for the chief adulterants of 
pulverized spices, 
similar subjects. Much attention is given to the morphology and histology 
of the various vegetable products. The chemistry of some of the products is 
discussed, but it is to be regretted that this feature is not more full. he 
drawings are Copious, mostly well-made, and nearly all of them new, some 
being of structures not previously figured. 
Soph NOG. A. Bes Die wichtigsten vegetabilischen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel 
Pp. xv + 575. fgs. 277. Leipzig and Wien: Urban & Schwarzenberg. 1899. 
