764 BOOKS AND 



He thinks that our recent species existed so long ago as 

 the pliocene. He attempts to arrive at some conclusion 

 as to the generic origin of the tulip-trees, and he is led 

 by certain leaf characters to suggest some magnolia or 

 magnolia-like type as the progenitor. 



The First Pri'Nciples of Agriculture. By James 

 Mills, President, and Thomas Shaw, Professor of Agricul- 

 ture in the Ontario Agricultural College. Pp. 2jo. Illus- 

 trated. Toronto : The J. E. Bryant Co. This is an ad- 

 mirable book. It is designed for use in the ' third and 

 fourth classes" of the Ontario public schools. It con- 

 tains more of the gist of agriculture and less of irrele- 

 vant and abstruse matter than any book of twice the 

 size which we have seen. It is particularly admirable 

 in its defiuidoTis and methods. It is pruned of wordi- 

 ness. Its sub-heads and correlative 

 Text-Book of statements are logical in arrangement 

 Agriculture. and direct in application. Succinct 

 reasons and advantages of certain prac- 

 tices are given throughout the book, of which the follow- 

 ing "points of merit in plowing" may be taken as a 

 random example : 



"I. A straight furrow of uniform depth and width. 



"2. A clean cut as to the furrow, both on the side next 

 the unplowed land and on the floor or bottom ; and 

 hence, correspondingly clean cuts on the exposed edge 

 and top of the inverted slice. 



"3. The complete burial of the grass and stubble 

 turned over. 



"4. A ridge even and uniform, with a finish showing 

 an open furrow with a clean, narrow bottom. The last 

 furrow-slice should be about equal in width and height 

 with the others." 



The book deals with general farm science and prac- 

 tice, farm crops, feeding and breeding of animals, dairy- 

 ing, silos, etc. Its method is eminently adapted to 

 schools, and it must prove very useful in them if seri- 

 ously introduced. And to everyone on a farm it presents 

 the best series of definitions and the objects sought by 

 common operations of any book we have ever seen. 

 The mechanical execution is unusually good. 



How TO Grow Strawberries. For Farmers, Village 

 People and Small Growers. A Book for Beginners. By 

 T. B. Terry and A. I. Root. Pp. 144. Illustrated. Paper, 

 40 cts. A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio. This is a chatty and 

 attractive account of the whole matter of strawberry cul- 

 ture and management. It is written in a 

 Strawberry manner to interest as well as to instruct ; 

 Book. its anecdote and reminescence will un- 



doubtedly popularize it with most read- 

 ers. The authors are well known as successful straw- 

 berry growers, and they have given greater attention to 

 many useful little details than others have done. 



List of Plants Collected by Dr. Edward Palmer 

 IN 1890 IN Lower California and Western Mexico. 



BULLETINS. 



By George Vasey and J. PT. Rose. Contributions from the 

 U. S. National Herbarium [Dept. Agriculture^ No. III. 

 I plate. The botany of Lower California is little known. 

 Dr. Palmer and Mr. Brandegee have lately made explor- 

 ations of portions of it, and have dis- 

 covered an interesting lot of new Botany of 

 species. The flora is essentially a Lower California, 

 desert one Of the plants known in 



southern Lower California, 76 have also been collected 

 upon the mainland of Mexico, 56 extend into the desert 

 regions of the United States, 10 reach Central America 

 and 8 are South American. 



A new genus, Coulterella, named in compliment to 

 Professor J. M. Coulter, of Wabash Col- 

 lege, is described. It is a composite, of Coulterella, 

 doubtful affinity. There is but one spe- a New Genus, 

 cies, Coulterella capitata. It is a "shrub 

 with many branches, forming a large bush four feet 

 high, " and bearing " a strong aroma of the oil of lemon." 

 It occurs on a sandy beach near the ocean. 



On the Public Parks of America. By the Rt. Hon. 

 the Earl of Meath. Report to the Parks and Open Spaces 

 Committee of the London County Council. Pp. J4. The 

 Earl of Meath has made a particular study of the parks 

 and park management of America, and he gives his col- 

 leagues upon the London park committee the results 

 of his investigations. He has examined our enterprises 

 in an excellent spirit, and he has frankly pointed out 

 their saliant virtues and defects. It is needful that we 

 should have outside criticism. The distinguished author 

 sees much more to admire than condemn in our parks, 

 and he recommends no less than seventeen features of 

 them as " worthy of imitation." These especially com- 

 mendable features are electric lighting, boulevard sys- 

 tems, the more or less permanent character of the com- 

 missions, the control by the park of certain lands and 

 privileges adjoining it, the separate employment of land- 

 scape gardeners and architects, the zoological attrac- 

 tions, gymnasiums, and several provisions for picnics 

 and amusements. 



"A veritable rage for park making seems to have 

 seized the American public." The result of haste and 

 enthusiasm is often seen in too great arti- 

 ficiality or in features of too striking char- American 

 acter. The author's opinion of Central Parks. 

 Park, New York, is to the point : ' ' Nature 

 seems in this latter park to be placed under such con- 

 tinual supervision and surveillance of man, so cribbed 

 and cabined by police regulations that artificiality takes 

 the place of natural beauty, and a man has a sense al- 

 most of relief on leaving the gardens, feeling thankful 

 that at length he may walk on the highway or pick up a 

 dead leaf without fear of arrest." 



A good list, with areas and notes, of the parks and 

 open places in the leading cities of the country is added. 



L H. B. 



