54 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 521 



tensive issues came into use over a large portion of the world, 

 whether for educational, or rural, or journalistic, or touristic 

 wants, has been most gratifying to the author; but this brightness 

 is dimmed by the circumstance that the book has not unfrequently 

 been used even in public departments with perhaps unintentional 

 evasion of all literary or any other acknowledgment. Nor did 

 hardly ever words of appreciation reach the author from wherever 

 rural successes were gained from even practical exertions of the 

 author." 



This is too often the experience of the literary and scientific 

 man. His ideas, his knowledge, are seized upon, or his books and 

 papers are received and no hint of the benefits he has conferred 

 ever reaches his ears; no indication is ever apparent that the seed 

 has fallen upon fertile ground. In his postscript the author re- 

 quests persons using the book to send him suggestions or addi- 

 tions, concluding with the following words: — 



" While approaching the eighth decade of his life, the author 

 cannot hope to see many more editions of this work, brought up 

 to the newest standard, through the press himself; but, as he 

 mav perhaps still be able to publish one more edition before 

 passing away, he is now particularly eager that the next issue 

 should by some special efforts be rendered as complete as this, 

 within the knowledge of the present days, can be accomplished. 

 Such help, furthermore, would really be a recompense only from 

 those who in using this book derived some practical benefit or 

 instructive advantages from its pages." 



The number of practical suggestions is endless. For example, 

 in speaking of the '• Black Wattle" of Australia, mention is made 

 of the great value of the bark for tanning purposes. One and 

 one-half pounds of this will do as much as five pounds of English 

 oak hark. The tree is easily grown, and the seeds may be sown 

 broadcast or in drills. Tt grows on the poorest and dryest soil, 

 and a return may be expected in from five to ten years. Full- 

 grown trees yield about 100 pounds of bark. It grows about an 



inch in diameter annually, and is hardier than Eucalyptus glo- 

 bulus (the gum tree). On this account it would be valuable to 

 introduce into our Southern States and Southern California. Th& 

 seeds retain their vitality for several years, and can be obtained 

 in Melbourne for 5 shillings per pound, each pound containing 

 from 30,000 to 50,000 grains. They germinate best after being 

 soaked in warm water. 



The " rain-tree" is described as reaching a height of 70 feet, 

 with branches extending 150 feet away from the trunk. It grows 

 rapidly and makes an admirable shade-tree in countries where 

 there is no frost, and where the rainfall fluctuates between thirty 

 and sixty inches annually. The leaves shut up at night and al- 

 low rain and dew to reach the ground beneath, so that grass will- 

 grow. The pods are produced in great abundance, and are fat- 

 tening to cattle, which feed upon them greedily. 



The tea-plant is stated to be hardy near Melbourne, enduring 

 light frosts and scorching hot summer winds. It thrives best, 

 however, in humid valleys with rich alluvial soil, where there are 

 springs for irrigation. The greater the rainfall the larger the- 

 yield of tea. In Japan the plant is cultivated as far north 

 as 43° latitude, where the thermometer occasionally falls to 

 16° F. , and the ground remains frozen several inches deep for 

 weeks. In 1840 India sent her first sample of tea to European 

 markets, and in 1864 exported 7,800,000 pounds. In 1889 the 

 amount had risen to 101,000,000 pounds. Three hundred pounds- 

 to the acre is the average yield in India. The author believes 

 that for many years to come it will be a profitable business to 

 raise tea-plants for the seeds alone. 



Some twenty-five pages are devoted to the Eucalyptus, full ac- 

 counts being given of several of the species. The "giant gum 

 tree " (Eucalyptus amygdalina) reaches a height of 415 feet. The- 

 tree sometimes measures 69 feet in circumference at the ground, 

 and one has been recorded as 33 feet in diameter at 4 feet from 

 the ground. One 78 feet from the ground was 9 feet in diameter. 



CALENDAR OF SOCIETIES. 

 Philosophical Society, Washington. 

 Jan. 21.— T. C. Mendenhall, The Use of 

 Planes and Knife-Edges in Pendulums ; R. 

 S. Woodward, The Use of Long Steel Tapes 

 for Measuring Base Lines. A report will be 

 presented from tbe committee appointed to 

 consider suitable commemoration exercises 

 at the 400th meeting of the society. 



Agassiz Scientific Society, Corvallis, Ore. 

 Jan. 11. — G. W. Shaw, Gravitation a 

 Form (if Energy. 



Publications Received at Editor's Office. 



A Free Land. The Cry of the Children. London, 



Williams & Norgate. 123 p. 18°. 

 Becker, G. F. Finite Homogeneous Strain, Flow 



and Rupture of Roc s. Rochester, N. Y., Geol. 



Soc. Amer. 8°. 

 Boyd, R. Nelson. Coal Pits and Pitmen. New York, 



Macmillan & Co. 35B p. 12°. $1. 

 Carus, p. Truth in Fiction. Chicago, OpenCourt 



Pub. Co. Ill p. 8». $1. 

 CoNGRES International des Americanistes. 



Compte-rendu de la Nuiti^me Session. Paris, 



Ernest Leroux. 704 p., pi. 8°. 

 DnaBLE, E. T. Report on Brown Coal and Lignite 



ofTexai;. Austin, Tex.. Geolog. Survey. 24:6 p., 



pi. 8°. 

 Foster. L. S. The Published Writings of George 



Newbold Lawrence, 1844-1891. Washington, 



Smithsonian Inst. 124 p. S" 

 Lodge, Oliver, Pioneers of Science, London and 



New York, Macmillan. 404 p, 12°. $2,50. 

 MacDonald, a. Criminology. Introduction by Dr. 



C. Lombroso. New York, Funk & Wagnalls Co. 



416 p. 12° 

 Simmons, H. M, The Unending Genesis. Chicago, 



C. H. Kerr & Co. Ill p, 24°. 85 cents 

 Talmage.J.E. Domestic Science. Second Edition. 



Salt Lake City, Utah, G. Q. Cannon & Sons Co. 



.389 p, 18°. 

 The Journal of Politicj l Economy. Vol. I., No. 1. 



Dec, 1892, Chicago, The University Press. 161 



p. 8°, $3 per year. 

 World's Fair Electrical Engineering, An Illus- 

 trated Monthly Magazine, Chicago, Elec, Eng. 



Pub. Co. 50 p, 8°. $3 per year. 



INSECTS AND INSECTICIDES. 



A PRACTICAL MANUAL, 



Concerning Noxious Insects and the Methods 

 of Preventing their Injuries. 



By CLARENCE M. WEED, 



Professor of Entomology and Zoology, New 

 Hampshire State College. 



WHAT IS SAII> ABOUT IT. 



" I think that you have gotten together a very 

 useful and valuable little book."— Dr. C. V. Riley, 

 U. S. Entomologist, Washington, D. C. 



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 State Entomologist of Illinois, Champaign, 111. 



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 ever seen."— J. Freemont Hickman, Agriculturist, 

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"1 shall gladly recommend it."— Prof. A. J. Cook, 

 Michigan Agricultural College. 



Price, $1.25. 



Sent postpaid to any address on receipt of price. 



N. D. C. HODGES, 874 Broadway, New York. 



Reading Matter Notices. 

 Ripans Tabules : best liver tonic. 

 Ripans Tabules cure jaundice. 



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