382
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
"Insect Life of Farm and Garden" deals with insect structure, life
histories of insect orders and insects harmful and beneficial on farms and
in gardens. "The Farmer's Crops" gives some interesting acreage figures
of our main crops over the last thirty years and goes on to discuss crop
husbandry. This includes the use of modern herbicides, pesticides and
fertilizers. The main theme of the book is world crops and world food
supply in the future.
"Science in the Garden" is concerned with the nature of science,
methods of experimenting, the taking of quadrats and transects to record
insect and plant populations. It deals with the nature of the soil itself,
the effects of light, moisture and weather on plant growth. Modern
methods of fertilizer application and control of pests and disease in plants
are a feature of this book, as well as a chapter on plant reproduction and
the implications of heredity and hybridization.
The fourth book reviewed here is "Growing and Studying Trees". The
volume discusses the history of trees and the types of modern trees and
their value. In the main the husbandry of trees is described in detail,
including choice of species, planting sites and their maintenance and
the control of pests and disease. The final chapters picture animal life
in the forest and the future of forestry and how trees will be used in the
landscape of the future.
D. Scott.
Brian Vesey-FitzGerald's Animal Anthology. Newnes. 1965. 182 pages,
24 plates. Price 35/-.
This is a personal anthology compiled by Mr Brian Vesey-FitzGerald
concerning animals with which he is familiar. As such, it has an appeal
rather different to that of other anthologies, but as most of the animals
mentioned are those with which the English reader is most familiar, then
it is a book which most naturalists will enjoy. Unfamiliar animals in the
form of circus performers, of which the author has some experience and
much of interest to say, are the exception. The remainder is concerned
with domestic and farmyard animals, and the "beasts of the chase".
It is the author's personal attitude and comments in this anthology
that make it different to others. His championing of fox hunting and
beagling, angling and performing circus animals, his frank comments on
otter and deer hunting and employing animals for medical research, all
give this book a refreshing and unique flavour.
As a personal anthology to some extent disarms criticism of omission,
I can only comment that the choice of books quoted is relatively limited
considering the vast literature available. One does, however, meet some
old friends, and I, for one, delighted in the quote from Beatrix Potter's
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and not only for the reason that I had long
forgotten but still puzzled about the fate that had overtaken Peter's father
" . . . he was put in a pie by Mrs McGregor".
Despite a number of irritating slips which more efficient proof-reading
could have removed, this well produced and illustrated anthology can be
warmly recommended.
Alwyne Wheeler.