BOOK REVIEWS. 



133 



tells its tale of the spread of that love of flowers which is so characteristic of 

 English-speaking peoples wherever they may be, and contributions come from 

 New York and Christchurch, Dunedin and Nova Scotia, as well as from Scotland 

 and places in between, to make a very interesting and suggestive "Annual" 

 for sweet-pea lovers, despite the turning of almost all their land into food 

 production in these last years. 



" Plant Products and Chemical Fertilizers." By S. Hoare Collins, M.Sc, 

 F.I.C. 8vo. xvi -f 236 pp. (Bailliere, Tindall & Cox, London, 1918.) ys. 6d. 

 net. 



The chemistry of Fertilizers, Soils, Crops, and Meat Production all comes in 

 for its due share of discussion in this useful and clearly written book. It is not 

 written around one set of conditions nor for one set of crop producers, but all 

 branches of crop production are dealt with, and the author throws many a side- 

 light upon methods of treating crops for market, as well as upon the actual 

 growing of them to a size fit for utilization. The book therefore appeals to a 

 very wide public, and deserves to be upon the shelves of everyone not entirely 

 satisfied to follow tradition and established custom in producing his crops, 

 ready to hand for constant consultation. A valuable part of the book is the 

 list of authorities to be consulted by those desiring further information on the 

 subject-matter of each chapter. 



" Jottings of an Allotment Gardener." By E. T. Ellis. 8vo., 144 pp. 

 (Times Printing Co., Mexboro, 19 19.) Paper covers, is. 6d. net. 



This little book is full of hints to the allotment gardener — and most of them 

 valuable anywhere in the country, although written mainly, perhaps, with a 

 somewhat northern climate in view. 



It would be strange if, in such a book as this, we could find ourselves in entire 

 agreement with everything written ; and sometimes our little disagreements 

 arise from a certain want of precision in parts: e.g., p. 74 speaks of Climbing 

 French or Runner Beans, as though the two were synonymous; " and " would 

 have been a better conjunction, as the context shows. " Butter beans " are 

 understood by most allotment-holders to mean the large white beans of the 

 grocers' shops, and a word of warning would be worth while that " Golden Butter 

 Beans " are in no way like these, but " waxpod " French beans, not difficult to 

 grow, while the others are impossible in our climate. Allotment-holders some- 

 times grow peas — and who shall blame them ? But instead of enlarging upon the 

 great return they make, a warning that for the land they occupy — unless the 

 cultivation is very good indeed — the actual amount of food produced is small, might 

 well have been given . So, too, with Brussels Sprouts — unless they are grown much 

 better than on the vast majority of allotments where the owner has no means of 

 raising them early and cannot get enough manure to " do them well " — the returns 

 are poor indeed. To advocate onion-growing on one page and deprecate it on 

 another is confusing, as is the direction to avoid sowing turnips after March. 

 Some of the " reasons why " are very far from satisfying, and we fear the 

 author's experience of school-gardens has been but circumscribed and peculiarly 

 unfortunate, else he would scarcely have written as he has concerning them. 



We merely draw attention to some of the little defects we find in this generally 

 excellent and often humorous little book — and humour is so often absent from 

 such books (unless it be unconscious, and that is the most refreshing of all) that 

 to meet it is refreshing — in the hope that a second edition may see them (together 

 with the few misprints that occur) modified. 



