NOTES ON PERIODICALS AND BOOKS 



Tillers of the Ground. By Marion I. Newbigin. London : Mac- 

 millan and Company, 1910, vi-f-224. 



Too infrequently is it possible for the grade teacher to turn from 

 the multitude of "nature" books, the authors of which seem often to 

 have more enthusiasm than knowledge, to a work like "Tillers of the 

 Soil", written by an eminent and versatile British scientist, in a style 

 at once simple and entertaining. There is nothing savoring of the 

 pedantic and the attitude is intensely human throughout, not only in 

 the picturesque description of the struggles of primitive peoples in 

 getting their living but in the story-like references to the patient inves- 

 tigations of eminent scientists, such as Berthelot, de Vries, Liebig, Mendel, 

 and Pasteur, and of the "plant-wizard", Burbank. The references to 

 Pliny, Vergil, and other ancient writers, and to some of the astonishingly 

 modern ideas of certain ancient Chinese and other orientals on breeding, 

 and of the prehistoric Americans on irrigation, are not likely to be found 

 elsewhere by the general reader. Quoting from the preface, "Books in- 

 tended to promote interest in science must differ completely from labor- 

 atory guides, text-books, or works of reference. They should aim at 

 exalting the scientific spirit which leads men to devote their lives to the 

 advancement of natural knowledge, and at showing how the human race 

 eventually reaps the benefit of such research. Inspiration rather than 

 information should be the keynote " Nevertheless a surprising- 

 amount of interesting information is given without seeming to weaken 

 the purpose just set forth. 



The rather restricted title hardly does justice to the scope of 

 this interesting little work. Not only does the book treat of tillers, 

 savage and otherwise, but it traces out man's efforts to conquer Nature 

 under various adverse circumstances, to carry useful plants from one 

 country to another, to improve plants by selection and cross-breeding, and 

 the relation of man's scientific activities to the betterment of agricultural 

 conditions. The subject matter is divided into eighteen chapters. 



The early part is well within the grasp of third grade children, 

 either to supplement primitive life studies or to aid in the transition 

 from home to world geography. This latter view is especially pertinent 

 to rural school work. The story of the introduction of the date and 

 the Smyrna fig into America fits in well with horticultural studies of 

 the upper grades. These chapters and that on wheat rust illustrate how 

 dependent, in the face of difficulties, is the so-called practical man 

 upon the researches of the scientist. 



Unfortunately there is no edition revised for American readers. 

 Our children will be continually confused by the European use of the 

 word "corn". Likewise, gorse and certain other terms, intended to 

 elucidate foreign conditions to English children would, in turn, call for 

 explanation or substitution. The author's nationality may excuse his 



•somewhat premature reference to the "State of Arizona which 



contains the wonderful Canyon of Colorado and some perhaps even more 

 wonderful antiquities", or perhaps the editor of the Scottish Geograph- 

 ical Magazine over-rated the speed of our Congress. C. H. R. 



Beginnings in Agriculture. By Albert R. Mann, New York: The 

 Macmillan Co. 1911, 20-I-317. 



"This book is designed for the purpose of introducing the study of 

 agriculture into the seventh and eigth grades of our elementary schools. 

 It may also meet the need in some of the smaller high schools and in 

 ungraded special and private schools". It is divided into four parts : 

 The affairs of agriculture : The soil ; Farm plants ; Farm animals. 

 Each chapter is followed by the number of questions or exercises called 

 problems, 241 in all. B. M. D. 



