Fungi—Friends and Foes. By A. F. Parker-Rhodes. (Elek. 125. 6d.)
iN the plant kingdom the fungi have always been the subject of speculation and superstition. They were among the last plants ir have their mysteries scientifically explored, and even today their workings are little understood by the average man, though he ma) fight mildew or rust in his garden with some specific, or seek advice against toadstools on the lawn. A gradually increasing proportion of people are, however, learning that some of the larger toadstools arc worth eating, and this study has aroused interest in the other forms of fungus file and the way in which they gross. There are very few books on fungi which are not either too tech- meal or too educational ; but here is one at once scientificall) correct—within the limitations of brevity—and readable, in a sty': lively but not irritating, which emphasises the practical rather than academic aspects of the subject. The part these organisms, both large and microscopic, play in the necessary processes of decay, in attacking or assisting trees, as plant parasites or as beneficial agents in medicine or baking, are all stressed, and their mode of Iffe. i. fully but simply explained. The book is fairly well illustrated wit photographs and line-drawings.
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