434 JOtTRNAL OE' THE HOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



some of the instructions in it a little more up to date and to omit the 

 frequent references to varieties which are seldom, if evet', grown at 

 the present day, although, no doubt, these references may have becti 

 well understood when the first edition of this handbook was issued. 



" Sweet Peas." By Horace J. Wright. 8vo., 116 pp. and 8 

 coloured plates. (T. C. and E. 0.- Jack, London and Edinburgh.) 

 Is. M. 



This book is well done — well printed, well illustrated, and well 

 written. . The coloured plates are the best sweet-pea illustrations we have 

 seen. The practical directions dealing with the preparation of the soil 

 are excellent, and, if carefully followed, will result in good flowers. All 

 classes of soils are treated of — heavy, chalky, and sandy. The writer 

 wisely makes a strong point of consolidating light soils. 



The selection of varieties given is up to date, and if traders could be 

 induced to limit their lists to the varieties named by Mr. Wright what 

 a help it would be to those who are not ' ' in the know ' ' ! The book 

 concludes with a long chapter on " The Cultivation of Sweet Peas for 

 Exhibition " from the pen of the champion grov/er, Mr. Thomas 

 Stevenson. 



'/The Book of Nature Study." Edited by J. Bretland Farmer, 

 M.A., D.Sc, F.E.S. Vol. VI. 8vo., 244 pp. (Oaxton Publishing 

 Co., London, 1910.) 7s. 6d. net. 



This book consists of two sections : 



1. Meteorology, by Miss Newbigin, D.Sc. 

 ' 2. Geology, by W. W. Watts, D.Sc. 



The first section opens with admirable first observations on the 

 weather. This logically leads to weather and climate, precipitation and 

 its relation to vegetation and the measurement of rainfall. Snow and 

 ice are next dealt with, and in this connexion we note that the illustra- 

 tions are up to date. 



We were greatly interested in the experiments, which are freely sug- 

 gested, and, what is of greater value, approximately correct in their 

 results. We refer to the imitation iceberg, the apparent movements 

 of the sun, finding the true north and south line, shadow experiments 

 to give some idea of the earth's revolution. 



The second part, by Prof. Watts, opens with a chapter on denuda- 

 tion, followed by one on deposition. Among the most interesting and 

 valuable chapters are those on models and maps, contour maps and 

 geological maps, history of landscape, and growth of Britain. 



The illustrations and diagrams are very fine indeed, particularly 

 those of fossils. A very full, complete, and accurate index to the six 

 volumes concludes this one. 



This volume is the finest introduction to the study of geography, in 

 its scientific aspect, that we have ever seen. To gardeners, and particu- 

 larly beginners, we can strongly recommend it as an introduction to a 

 more detailed study of soils and meteorology. It is a fitting topstone 



