CURRENT LITERAPURE 
BOOK REVIEWS 
Plant pathology 
The growing interest in plant pathology is attested by the appearance 
recently of two new books and a journal dealing with this subject. Of the 
books, one, by STEvENS and Hatt, is the second to appear in the United 
States within a year. The other, also in English, is by MassEr.? The new 
journal appears under the name Phytopathology, as the official organ of the 
American Phytopathological Society. 
The book by STEVENS and HALt is written to meet the needs of those 
who are concerned with plant diseases from a practical standpoint, and who 
wish to identify diseases easily and quickly, and find definite directions for 
combatting them. In its general scheme it departs considerably from the 
usual treatment adopted in works on plant diseases. The method of treatment 
is such as seemed to the writers most serviceable for the end in view. The 
diseased plant is the important object under discussion. Technical details 
relating to structure and life histories of fungi are omitted. Characteristics 
of fungi are described only where the fungus itself is sufficiently conspicuous 
to form a distinguishing mark by which to recognize the disease, as in mildews. 
identify the disease described. In the same way life histories are discussed 
only in so far as is necessary for the understanding of certain diseases, as in 
the case of rusts, and then only in their general aspects. In general only 
such characteristics are mentioned as are obvious to the naked eye and will 
aid the practical man in identifying the diseases. This method of treatment 
has permitted an arrangement of the material in the body of the work b 
on the classification of host plants, instead of the usual arrangement according 
to the systematic sequence of the fungi. 
The book begins with brief introductory sections on general subjects of 
practical importance, such as fungicides, spraying machinery, cost and profits 
of spraying, and similar topics. This part is of special value to the practical 
man, as it brings together information regarding the newer spraying mixtures 
and methods of combatting diseases which have been published in various 
papers not easily available. A short chapter on general diseases takes up 
*STEVENS, F, L., and Hatt, J. G., Diseases of economic plants. 8vo. pp. x+513. 
jigs. 214. New Yo oe The Maccsilian Co. 1910. $2.00 
? MASSEE, GEORGE, Diseases of cultivated sie sad trees. 8vo. pp. xii+602. 
jigs. 171. New York: The Macmillan Co. 1910. $2.25. 
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