176 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
in the " Tribune Farmer," we think these portions should have been 
acknowledged by inverted commas. 
In the matter of self-sterility of varieties, so much discussed 
in this country in recent years, the writer lays stress on factors 
which may influence this so that " no one can make hard-and-fast 
lists of self-sterile and self-fertile varieties." This is a point which 
the advocates of " mates " would do well to investigate, the subject 
being evidently one which is not quite so simple as first thought. 
American orchards are practically all of standard trees, and 
" dwarfs " have not been generally approved in that country, and 
we think they can hardly have been tried very widely, as the author 
considers that the " Doucin " stock, for instance, will so dwarf a tree 
that it will not attain a greater height than five to eight feet. It does 
not seem to be realized even in this country that our dwarf apples are 
so mainly because they are pruned to fruit soon, and if allowed to go 
ahead they will, on any of the so-called " Paradise " stocks generally 
used, make a tree of equal size to the same variety on the " crab " 
or " free " stock. 
The author apparently accepts without question the so-called 
" pedigree " stock — a stock propagated from selected trees as against 
random selection of grafts. 
Experience in his country has, however, failed to produce the 
slightest confirmatory evidence in its favour when the experiments 
were conducted with any real accuracy. When we can submit trees to 
identical conditions of cultivation we may be able to decide this interest- 
ing point, but till then the case is decidedly not proven. A chapter 
on pruning is of interest, though somewhat sketchy. It is apparently 
needed in the States, as a recent American writer on pruning illustrates 
a spur and emphasizes its value. " Yet many pruners systematically 
cut them off the trees." Pests are fully treated, the photographs 
of the various fungus diseases of the fruits are capitally illustrated, 
and we note the " fly-speck " rot, which is, we presume, the disease 
which has recently attracted attention in this country, is described 
as of fungoid origin. 
All the various phases of cultivation, packing, and marketing 
are well dealt with, and the question of advertising is also touched 
upon. As a leader to English growers the following quotation may 
be of value should anyone contemplate magazine advertising : " Have 
you a hankerin' for those firm, sweet apples you used to knock off 
the trees with a club when the old man wasn't looking ? " The appeal 
ad hominem ! As is usual in such books, the printing and illustration 
are excellent, but at the cost, alas, of heavy paper which bars 
arm-chair reading. 
" Studies of Soils." By A. G. McCall. 8vo. viii + 77 pp. 
(Chapman & Hall, London, 1915.) 2s. 6d. 
This slender profusely illustrated book is intended to be an 
elementary manual for students of agriculture. It is a brief series of 
