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REVIEWS. 
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Insect Pests and Fungus Diseases, by P. J. Fryer, F.1.C., F.C.S., pages xv + 
728. With numerous plates and illustrations. Cambridge University Press. 
Price £3. As the author in his prefatory remarks points out, practical workers 
in most scientific industries have a choice of several standard works of re- 
ference by well-recognised experts to guide them in their operations. In Great 
Britain, apparently, the fruit-grower has not had this assistance, and so Mr. 
Fryer’s aim has been to make good this deficiency. So far as the British. fruit- 
grower is concerned, he has attained his object. For the fruit-grower in Aus- 
tralia, however, conditions are so vastly different that much. of the data con- 
tained in this volume will not be of material assistance to him. Many pests, 
both insect and fungoid, which inflict serious losses in other countries, are either 
unknown in Australia or, where existent, are of slight economic importance. 
Jonversely, many insect and fungeid pests which cause great destruction in this 
country do very little damage in other countries. Notwithstanding the unavoid- 
able limitations of Mr. Fryer’s work, the volume will be of considerable value 
to fruit-growers the world over, because of the wide extent of general informa- 
tion it contains. The author is to be congratulated on the arrangement, as well 
as the treatment, of his subject. He opens with a section explaining in what 
manner trees are attacked by insects and fungi, and shows how the vitality of 
trees and shrubs is reduced. The next section explains how fruit trees live, and 
what exactly are the functions of the leaves, trunk, branches, roots, flowers, and 
fruit. Proceeding with these elementary but essential explanations, the author 
devotes another section to the life-history of insects, the changes which they 
undergo from the ege stage to the adult insect; and he includes a section de- 
scriptive of the broad classification of insects. By this means the fruit-grower 
is enabled to arrive at a proper understanding and appreciation of the problems 
with which he is faced, and how best to deal with them. The various stages of 
the metamorphosis of individual pests is also described and frequently illustrated, 
in some cases with coloured plates. A few notes on the distribution and life his- 
tory of each are given. The economic importance of each pest is also indicated 
under a variety of headings such as * Trees Attacked,” ‘Frequency of Pest,” 
“Nature of Attack,’ “Degree of Damage,’ *‘“ Remedy,’ and “Calendar of 
Treatment.” Insecticides are discussed at length, and clear and explicit direc- 
tions are given regarding the preparation of spraying compounds. here is urgent 
need for a similar work dealing with insect and fungoid pests in Australia, 
and the entomologist who follows along the lines laid down by Mr. Fryer would 
deserve the grateful thanks of all those interested in fruit-growing in this 
country. A great deal of data has been published from time to.time.in various 
publications throughout the Commonwealth, but nothing so comprehensive and 
helpful as Mr. Fryer’s work has yet been published in Australia. The fruit 
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