380 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" Botany for Agricultural Students." By J. N. Martin. 8vo. x + 585 pp. 

 (Chapman & Hall, London.) 12s. 6d. net. 



This is a fairly complete elementary text-book of Botany, dealing with 

 Heredity and Plant Breeding in the first two chapters. The examples and illus- 

 trations are taken, wherever possible, from plants well known in agriculture. 

 The only other distinguishing feature of the book is that it begins with the study 

 of the flower. This method has a good deal to recommend it, for it certainly 

 tends to awaken interest at the outset by calling attention to some easily observed 

 phenomena of plant life ; the main drawback being the somewhat overloaded 

 burden of technical terms which this branch of plant study is apt to carry. 



Physiology naturally occupies a considerable portion of the book, and it is 

 happily interwoven with the portions, dealing with the structure of the organs 

 concerned, so that the too frequent tendency to regard morphology, histology, 

 and physiology as water-tight compartments of Botany is not likely to be fostered 

 by the use of this book. 



The illustrations are very useful, and an excellent feature of the book is the 

 numerous references to bulletins, &c, giving full details of the matters alluded 

 to in the text. 



" The Planting, Cultivation, and Expression of Coco-nuts, Kernels, Cacao, 

 and Edible Vegetable Oils and Seeds of Commerce : a Practical Handbook 

 for Planters, Financiers, Scientists and others." By H. Osman Newland, 

 F.R.Hist.S., &c, 8vo. vii + 111 pp. (Griffin,* London, 1919.) 6s. net. 



It is an unfortunate fact that most oil-producing plants require a warmer 

 climate than that of England. It is true that flax thrives here, and sunflowers 

 to a certain extent, and some varieties of Soya beans will give a crop, but, in the 

 main, oil-producing plants are the products of warm temperate and tropical 

 regions rather than those of cool temperate climates. 



The demand for vegetable oils is unceasing and increasing, and as the plants 

 which produce them as a rule produce other things of great commercial value 

 as well, the area under these crops is constantly increasing — although up to now 

 scarcely in the same ratio as the demand. 



The title indicates the range of the present volume, although it does not by 

 any means exhaust the list of plants the cultivation of which is dealt with. 

 The numerous planters seeking profitable crops for their African estates especially 

 may profitably consult it, and for all who are in any way interested in oil-bearing 

 crops, the book will prove of the utmost value. 



" Vegetable Growing." By J. G. Boyle. 8vo. 350 pp. (Lea & Febiger, 

 Philadelphia and New York, 191 7.) $2.25 net. 



This work is written by Mr. Boyle, Associate Professor of Horticulture in 

 the Purdue University, Indiana, for American readers. Many of the subjects 

 dealt with are quite unsuitable for cultivation in this country, and some that 

 are always grown here under glass and for value as fruits only, e.g. the 

 melon, are cultivated in America as vegetables as well as fruits. Climatic 

 and other conditions are so different there from what they are here, that it 

 would be a waste of time, labour, and money to attempt to grow some of the 

 things mentioned in the book; also the author in some cases recommends an 

 application of manure to the land at the rate of 50 tons to the acre, while we 

 find a difficulty in getting any in many parts of this country. In respect to 

 tools, appliances, and glass erections, it seems we are well up to date. At the 

 same time there is a vast amount of information worth close attention by the home 

 and market grower, and some significant figures are given concerning production 

 — for instance, California tomato seed yielded 15*5 tons to the acre, while seed 

 from Illinois produced 17 tons from the same variety, grown in exactly the 

 same conditions, on plots of the same size. One of the reasons for this difference 

 in results is attributed to the seed being grown in localities especially adapted 

 to its production. Pests are described, and the best methods of dealing with 

 them — a question to which a good deal of attention has been paid. The book 

 contains over 150 illustrations, is well printed, and arranged in a very convenient 

 form, and furnished with a capital index. 



" The Management of English Woodlands." By W. F. Beddoes. 8vo. 

 xix +172 pp. (Simpkin, Marshall, London, 1919.) 7s. 6d. net. 



Of the ten chapters into which this book is divided, one of the most important 

 is that on Finance. The reasoning is sound and the conclusions arrived at as to 

 profits are by no means overrated. 



Though there is an amount of truth in the statement made by the author that 



