50 The American Naturalist. [January, 
Willis’ Practical Flora.’—We are told in the preface of this 
well printed, and rather attractive book that “to engage the interest and 
enthusiasm of such students [elsewhere stated to be those without a 
scientific mind] it is necessary to show the practical aspects of the 
vegetable world, and its relations to the needs of everyday life,” etc., 
and that there has been a long felt want for a work of such practical 
character, and this book has been prepared to meet the demand.” 
This assigns the work to a peculiar class, and practically takes it out 
of the domain of scientific botany. If other teachers find it necessary 
to use devices such as the author suggests in his preface, perhaps no 
one but the friends of the unfortunate pupils need make objection. 
It may be well to say here, however, that such matter as is here pre- 
sented is not botany, at any rate not the botany of this last decade of 
the nineteenth century. On looking over it one is carried back fifty 
years or more to the time when botany was little more than the hand- 
maid of materia medica, horticulture and agriculture. Instead of 
bringing out a new book, the author has given to the American pub- 
lic a very old kind of book, including a very old kind of botany. Pos- 
sibly in some of the ultra “ practical” agricultural schools of the 
country it may supply “a long felt want,” but it is scarcely probable 
that it will find a place in schools in which any pretence is made of 
teaching the science of botany. 
Passing to details, one is puzzled to make out the principle upon 
which the plants described were selected. We find ten species of 
Anemone (all wild), nineteen of Ranunculus (sixteen wild), six of 
Clematis (wild), etc., etc., and yet there are no Water Lilies, Basswoods 
(Tilia), Rue, Hollies or Virginia Creepers. Yet, seven species of 
Rhus are given, in spite of the fact that but one Maple (the Sugar 
Maple) is given. The student might well ask also why the author 
omitted from the species of Prunus all mention of P. americana, the 
more commonly cultivated plum in the central United States. The 
cactuses are unnoticed, while of coffee ( Coffea) thirty-five “ species ” ! 
But five genera of Composite are given, viz.: Inula, Anthemis, Chrys- 
anthemum, Tanacetum and Carthamus. Nota word is said about As- 
ters, or Golden Rods, Dahlias or Thistles, nor is there anything about 
Artichokes, or Arnica even. The Olive is described, but not the Ash 
3 A Practical Flora for Schools and Colleges, by Oliver R. Willis, A. M., Ph. 
D., Instructor in Botany, Physics and Chemistry in the New York Military 
Academy. k York, Cincinnati, Chicago. American Book Company [1894]. 
pp. xvi, 349, 8vo. 
