THE ELEMENTS OF PHILIPPINE 

 AGRICULTURE. 



By E. B. Copeiand.* 



This is one of the first serious attempts 

 to write an elementary text-book of 

 Agriculture for use ic tropical schools, 

 and consequently requires serious con- 

 sideration. 



The author recommends that the work 

 be used in connection with a school 

 garden, in which every boy should have 

 a plot about 15 feet by 9, if necessary, 

 rather than make the plots smaller; he 

 would put two boys to each, as with 

 small plots the importance of space is 

 not properly understood. The student 

 should map his plot carefully ; this, of 

 course, is incidentally useful as a lesson 

 in geography. His plants must be most 

 carefully laid out in regular rows at 

 exact intervals. Each student should 

 keep a note-book in which the map is 

 entered, and every detail about the 

 growth and treatment of the plants, and 

 these should be frequently overhauled 

 by the teacher. 



After a general introductiou the book 

 goes on to deal with the parts of plants, 

 Avith the soil, with plants and their need 



* The World Book Company, Yorkers-on-Hudson, 

 New York and Manila, P. I. 



> [April, 1909. 



of light, water, &c. Though somewhat 

 too condensed, this part should be easily 

 enough understood by a boy of say 15, 

 and to younger children than this we 

 would not teach agriculture. 



After this follow chapters on the 

 actual crops, maize, coffee, abaca, &c. 



It is difficult to criticise an elementary 

 pioneer work like this ; but, in general 

 our impression is that, while a good work 

 so far as it goes, it is too much con- 

 densed, and will require great ampli- 

 fication, with detailed practical demon- 

 stration, by a good teacher; and it is in 

 the provision of such teachers that the 

 difficulty lies in tropical agriculture. 



J. 0. WILLIS. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR SCHOOL 

 GARDENS. 



By J. R. Williams.* 



This is a useful hand-book, which 

 should be in the hands of anyone in- 

 terested in School Gardens in the tropics. 



It contains useful hints on clearing, 

 fencing, laying out, &c, besides local in- 

 formation on crops of Jamaica. 



J. C. WILLIS. 



* Government Printing Office, Kingston, Jamaica, 



