THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



159 



lished by the Cambridge University Press for which Messrs. 

 G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, are the American agents. 



TwO' of the botanical Coulters — John M. and John G. — 

 have each recently issued a text book in botany designed to 

 form an introduction to agriculture and applied botany in 

 general. Both books are ISmos of 453 pages and though dis- 

 cussing essentially the same subjects are so different in arrange- 

 ment that they may be reviewed together without creating 

 invidious distinctions. John M.'s volume is entitled ''Ele- 

 mentary Studies in Botany" and is issued by the Appleton's; 

 John G.'s book has the title ''Plant Life and Plant Uses" and 

 is published by the American Book Company. John M., who, 

 by the way, is the father of John G., is head of the Department 

 of Botany in the University of Chicago, and has previously 

 written several works of similar nature; the other volume 

 appears to be the first effort of John G. in this line, though 

 not his first book by any means. "Elementary Studies in 

 Botany" begins with microscopic and other algae and carries 

 the thread of evolution through the Bryophytes and Pterido- 

 phytes tO' the flowering plants after which consideration is 

 given to leaves, stems, roots, and the like. This sequence, 

 though a perfectly logical one, is not, in the opinion of the 

 reviewer, the proper secjuence in which to present the facts of 

 botany to the beginning student; in fact, this phase of botany 

 seems everywhere to be losing ground as a high school subject, 

 experience having shown that it is not attractive to the average 

 student and does not leave him with much that later will be 

 useful. Dr. Coulter, however, is a clear and attractive writer 

 and presents his subject in a way to .interest the student if he 

 can be interested in this phase of the subject. The second 

 part of the book is semi-agricultural with parts devoted to the 

 soil, propagating, breeding, fruits, vegetables, fiber plants, 

 etc. This part may appear to the practical man as somewhat 

 academic since it tells about the cultivation of plants instead of 



