136 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Stebbing's book is by far the best contribution to the subject of commercial 

 forestry that has appeared in this or any other land, and we hope it may be 

 the means of hastening on the valuable but long overdue work of the Forestry 

 Sub-Committee of Reconstruction. 



"Our National Forests : A Short Popular Account of the Work of the United 

 States Forest Service on the National Forests." By Richard H. D. Boerker. 

 8vo. lxix + 238 pp. (Macmillan, New York, 1919.) $2-50. 



The author truly says that the practice of forestry has become an important part 

 in the household economy of civilized nations, and that through misuse of its 

 forest resources destruction is quickly followed by timber famines, floods, and 

 erosion. Probably one of the greatest achievements in the history of forest 

 conservation is the bringing under administration and protection the vast wood- 

 lands of the United States, which roughly extend to 155,000,000 acres. Having 

 from time to time read much that has been written regarding these forests, we 

 can confidently say that the present book contains in readily accessible form 

 a far larger amount of useful information regarding the past, present, and future 

 of these woodlands than has before been contained in a single volume. The 

 contents are divided into four headings : (1) The Creation and Organization of 

 the National Forests ; (2) The Administration of the National Forests ; (3) the 

 Protection of the National Forests ; and (4) The Sale and Rental of National Forest 

 Resources. 



It may be a surprise to many that 15,000,000 acres of national forest lands, 

 which are capable of producing timber and valuable chiefly for that purpose, 

 have been denuded of their original tree growth. These lands are not adapted 

 to either agriculture or grazing and in their present condition are practically 

 unproductive barrens. The methods of reafforestation, either by direct seed- 

 sowing or by tree-planting, are very clearly set out, and, though akin to those 

 practised in this country, contain much that is worthy of copying, whether 

 as to the best ways of rearing young forest trees or selecting, harvesting, and 

 sowing the various seeds of desirable coniferous and hardwooded species. In 

 the last chapter, which deals with the sale and disposal of national forest timber, 

 the methods of lotting, advertising, and checking are worthy of imitation, while 

 the system of issuing grazing permits does away with unnecessary trespass as 

 well as insuring that the fees are converted into the right channel. 



Short notes on tree diseases, insect attacks, and injury from flood and fire 

 are all welcome; indeed, within the 230 pages is contained a mine of useful in- 

 formation regarding the trees of which the vast forests of the United States 

 are mainly composed. 



The book is beautifully and copiously illustrated, the illustrations being of 

 distinct value in elucidating the text. 



"Botany of the Living Plant." By F. O Bower, Sc.D., F.R.S. 8vo. 

 x -f 570 pp. (Macmillan, London, 1919.) 25s. net. 



A considerable time has elapsed since the appearance of an altogether new 

 botanical text-book for fairly advanced students so complete, so clear, and so 

 authoritative as this. It is indeed a more scientific but no less lucid account of 

 plant life than Kerner's "Natural History of Plants." It gives a straight- 

 forward account of the structure and functions of plants, illustrated by examples 

 taken from various parts of the world, and, where necessary, by capital drawings, 

 many of them especially, and skilfully, made for this work. A feature of great 

 value is the italicized sentence or two summing up each of the important facts 

 and principles of botany as they are dealt with. Where subjects are still matters 

 of speculation the different opinions held are generally clearly stated, but here 

 and there a comparatively new view of a special and restricted phenomenon is 

 omitted. Thus the explanation of the variety of flowers and difference in habit 

 of different parts of the curious Cytisus Adami is readily understood on Winkler's 

 hypothesis of a chimera, and this affords a more satisfactory explanation of all 

 the facts than the one given. The book is one which should be available to every 

 student, and we hope that circumstances may soon permit a reduction in price. 



"Gardening Illustrated" and "Farm and Home," established some thirty 

 odd years ago by Mr. Wm. Robinson, have changed hands. 



They are now the property of Mr. John Nayler, J. P., who has been associated 

 in the management of both papers for the past few years. 



