14 



The word Isotype, compounded from the Greek, means "equiv- 

 alent to the type." To offset the objection that a dupHcate is 

 not necessarily equivalent to the type, indeed too often is quite 

 different, is the fact that it always should he the same and so for 

 the purpose of comparison should be its equal in value. Per- 

 haps the best raison d'etre which can be urged for a word is its 

 suggestion of an ideal; such a term should emphasize the import- 

 ance of all duplicates being thoroughly like the type. — -Francis 

 W. Pennell. 



REVIEWS 



Boerker's Our National Forests* 



A short popular account of the work of the United States For- 

 est Service on the national forests, by the arboriculturist of the 

 Department of Parks, New York City. The introduction (pp. 

 xiii-xlvii) is followed by four chapters on the creation and or- 

 ganization, the administration, and the protection of the national 

 forests, and the sale and rental of national forest resources. An 

 Appendix of six pages contains a tabular statement of land areas 

 within the national forest boundaries. 



The book, well illustrated, brings together in small compass, 

 reliable information on a subject about which every citizen should 

 be intelligent, but which has hitherto been largely inaccessible 

 on account of being widely scattered in Government bulletins 

 and reports. Some of the information will be a revelation to 

 perhaps the majority of readers. For example, we learn (p. 72) 

 that the Forest Service has, since 191 1, collected over 175,000 

 pounds of tree seeds for planting, and that 21 tree nurseries, in 

 1916, had in them over 37 million young trees to be planted in 

 reforestation work. The average layman, who possesses chiefly 

 misinformation concerning the relation of forests to climate, will 

 profit by reading the author's paragraphs on that subject (pp. 

 89-92). Those who are still skeptical (and there are many such) 

 as to the practical value of preventive and remedial measures 

 for tree diseases and pests will be enlightened to learn, merely 

 as an illustrative example, that an expenditure of only ^3,000 



* Our National Forests. By Ri(luu<l II. Donai Bocrkcr. New York. The 

 Macmillan Co. 1918. $2.50. 



