Practice with Science: a Series of Agricultural Papers. Vol. I.
(Long- mans.)—The title of this volume inadequately describes its contents. The agricultural papers in it are of a high class, and will, no doubt, enlighten those to whom they are addressed. Many of them, of course, will not go beyond a special circle of readers, as we presume few but farmers will care to hear much about wheat experiments, rotation of crops, the capillary action of soils, and the agricultural value of natural phosphates. But in other papers there are points of more general in- terest. The question of agricultural education is ably discussed by Mr. Constable. Principal of the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester. Mr. Welford, County Court Judge in Warwickshire, contributes two very valuable papers on leases, which he considers indispensable for the welfare of the tenant and the proper improvement of the land. We are sorry to find him stating that a form of lease that is very simple and not involved in superfluous verbiage needs all the cloud of words against which the Act of 1845 was aimed, but which has strangely enough sur- vived that attack. Why seventy-eight words should be used where throe would do must always be a puzzle to those who do not charge for their work by the folio.
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