Maech 3, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



831 



list, so far as pertains to the teaching of ele- 

 mentary botany, is provided. Since school 

 boards are sometimes in a hurry for data, it 

 would have been -well to facilitate the teacher's 

 task by indicating in the list itself the rela- 

 tive values of the various books, so that a lim- 

 ited choice might be quickly made. This end 

 is, however, largely attained in the reading of 

 a chapter, but in a less concise way. 



A very valuable addition in the present 

 book are the suggestions given for the grow- 

 ing of plants in windows in pots and boxes. 

 But few schools are able to do more than this, 

 and any practical help in this apparently easy, 

 but really rather difficult matter, will prove 

 very welcome, especially as this part of the 

 text comes from the hand of Mr. Edward J. 

 Canning, than whom few are more skilful in 

 horticultural practise. An additional sugges- 

 tion will not be amiss, that tin cans are 

 usually better than pots ' for house culture. 

 Indeed, they are exceedingly useful for much 

 laboratory experimentation. The jagged rims 

 may be melted off, while a coat of asphalt 

 paint will make them sightly. 



During the past few years Professor Gan- 

 ong and some of his more advanced students 

 have systematically investigated the com- 

 moner plants with particular reference to 

 their adaptability for demonstration and labo- 

 ratory experimentation, while Professor Gan- 

 ong himself has worked arduously in the per- 

 fection of apparatus of more refined type 

 adapted to school and college use. The excel- 

 lent data and apparatus thus obtained are 

 available in The Botanical Gazette and in 

 another book, " Plant Physiology," properly to 

 be regarded as a companion volume to " The 

 Teaching Botanist," and which should, with 

 this, be in the hands of every ambitious 

 teacher. 



The second part is devoted to a detailed dis- 

 cussion of a synthetic course, the content of 

 which is widely known through the work of 

 the Committee on Education of the Botanical 

 Society of America, of which Professor Gan- 

 ong is the chairman. The method of presen- 

 tation is left, in the report of that committee,' 



^This report is printed as an appendix. 



as a matter of choice to the teacher, but the 

 book before us will do much to advance the 

 recognition of the principle of synthesis. The 

 account, covering 150 pages, may be regarded 

 as a condensed log of a successful teacher, and 

 gives the practical pedagogy on every difficult 

 and important point. The fundamental prin- 

 ciple, that of synthetic treatment of allied 

 structural and physiological topics, has much 

 to commend it, the chief of which is the over- 

 whelming importance of physiology. The re- 

 viewer is glad that the efforts of Professor 

 Ganong have been in this direction, since it is 

 principally this phase of botanical science 

 which must come to the front in the botany 

 taught in schools of agriculture. These are 

 rapidly multiplying, and many young teachers 

 are going out year by year into this work who 

 need much help along the right path. 



Of most permanent importance, in the opin- 

 ion of the reviewer, is the chapter on the 

 Training and Traits of the Good Botanical 

 Teacher. It is full of good common sense 

 coupled with a clear vision of the ideal. The 

 teacher who is troubled because he can not do 

 research will find in this homily some other 

 matters to think about and other ways of 

 advancing his science than in striving to do 

 the work of others whose business it is. There 

 must be a great majority of good botanical 

 teachers whose chief interest is the develop- 

 ment of the teaching aspect of the science, 

 and whose effort is legitimately expended in 

 this way. To such Ganong brings a message. 

 Francis Ernest Lloyd 



Alabama Polytechnic Institute 



Lehrbuch der anorganischen Chemie. Von 

 Professor Dr. H. Erdmann, Direktor 

 des Anorganisch-Chemischen Instituts der 

 Koniglichen Technisehen Hochschule zu 

 Berlin. Fiinfte Auflage. (Dreizehntes bis 

 Sechszehntes Tausend.) Mit dem Portrat 

 des Verfassers in Graviire, 319 Abbildungen, 

 95 Tabellen, einer Eechentafel und Sieben 

 Farbigen Tafeln. Braunschweig, Friedrich 

 Vieweg und Sohn. 1910. Pp. 805. 16 

 Marks. 



