BOOK REVIEWS. 



305 



fruit-grower. And the author justly remarks: "Air-drainage is as 

 essential to the foliage of fruit trees as soil-drainage is to the roots." 

 The cost of land naturally varies very much — proximity to railways, 

 roads, cost of clearing, and so forth — but raw land ranges from 

 50 to 250 dollars the acre in small lots, but less for large blocks, 

 and orchards in bearing realize from 500 to 1,000 dollars the acre. 

 The cost of ten acres, including clearing, house, buildings, fences, 

 stock, tools, seeds, &c., the author roughly estimates at 6,050 dollars; 

 but as a rule small blocks of this size may be paid for on the instal- 

 ment system, say one-third cash down and the balance by arrange- 

 ment, not less than 6 per cent, interest being charged. 



Taxation seems to be very light. The author says: '* As a fruit- 

 rancher the orchard-owner pays only one tax and no rates whatever. 

 The tax is a levy of ^ per cent, upon the assessed value (say 80 per 

 cent, of the actual market value) of his real property, with a 10 per 

 cent, discount for prompt payment."' 



Small fruits are evidently a paymg crop. Strawberries, raspberries, 

 and black currants appear to pay best if near a market or jam factory. 

 Potatos are stated to be the most remunerative root crop, and other 

 catch crops are described carefully. An excellent chapter on manures 

 might be read by British growers with profit. Now that manure is 

 becoming more difficult to obtain, the grower will be obliged to pay 

 more attention to other forms of manuring, and we cannot do better 

 than quote one paragraph from the chapter, viz, : " The system of 

 clean cultivation during the summer, followed by a cover crop in the 

 fall and winter, will not only keep right the texture and quality of the 

 soil, but will give the trees all the fertilizing agents they want." A 

 first-rate chapter on pruning is also well worthy of perusal, and the 

 chapters on spraying, &c., are all very good, but our experience is that 

 fruit trees in this country will not stand Paris green at the rate recom- 

 mended in Canada — viz. one ounce to ten gallons of water. Half that 

 strength is sufficient and safe if the whole is kept well agitated while 

 using it. A great deal of other information is given, all of interest and 

 value to the intending settler. The book is well printed and well 

 indexed. 



"The Single-Handed Gardener." By Special Experts in both 

 Indoor and Outdoor Gardening. 8vo., 260 pp. (Temple Press, 

 London, 1912.) Is. net. 



This is one of the cheapest and most comprehensive books on 

 gardening that we have yet seen. Almost every subject conceivable is 

 treated in a masterly manner, and the book is one that every amateur 

 and every gardener in a small place should possess. The printing and 

 illustrations are very good, and the same applies to the index at the end. 



"Everybody's Gardening Book." By the Editor of Garden 

 Life. Bvo,, 278 pp. (Garden Life Press, London, 1912.) Is, net. 



Of cheap gardening books there is no end; but at the same time 

 there is plenty of room for such a good, practical work as the one 



