APRIL. 1952
211
course. Ionization and equilibrium are both discussed early enough to be completed during the first semester, thus allowing, if it desired, qualitative analysis to he studied during all of the second semester. Acids and bases are discussed rather classically. Very little use is made of the Br#nsted theory. Most equations are written molecularly or only semi-ionically. Historical chemistry is adequately covered. Descriptive chemistry is gold, I shall leave them for what they are worth. They have no meager in the first half of the book. The second half of the book includes a study of well-selected place in this discussion of cementation, since my books will contairr nothing hut rratural and tcstrd proccssea whirl, cur he elements, common compounds, and organic compounds. The relied upon and raise no false hopes." It is rq,mtedly evidcnt emphasis is on industrial processes, important type-reactions, f own ex~cricnce, and the uses of the substances. The student is not swamped that Erckrr ia indeed descnbina thc ~ s u l t s u his and remarks such as "you must l e m from experience a s I and with detaih. The format of the book is excellent. The text should be others did whether one recipe is better than another" are common easily understood by students. The nine parts of the appendix throughout the book. A personal tone of discussion between author and reader per- contain much useful information. Answers are given a t the vades the whole work and lends charm even to the most technical end of the book for all of the problems in the text. This r e descriptions. I t would be difficult to obtain a aelater picture of viewer predicts that this will be a popular text for beginning students of chemistry. the operations of the sixteenth century miners. The translation is beautifully done. The clear type, the numerJOHN B. ENTRIKIN ous reproductions of the original woodcuts, and the great number CENTENART COLLE~E of notes which make dear the relation between the methods of P a a m v ~ s o n Lornsrm* ~. Ercker and his eantemoormies and those of todav make the text itself a pleasure to read. The bibliographic det& of the vtlrious AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. VOLUME 11: editions and translations give a complete picture of the impor- 0 PLICATIONS tance of the h w k in its own day. Special attention is paid to the English translation published by Sir John Pettus in 1683. Fi- Edited by Donald E. H. Frear, Professor of Ag"cultura1 and nally, the scholarly introduction with its discussion of the place of Biological Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State College. D. van the assayer in the development of chemical science is a distinct Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, 1951. viii 588 pp. 45 figs. contribution to the history of chemistry. Too often the historians 122 tables. 17.5 X 25 cm. 39.50. of this science neglect the practical chemical knowledge of the THE editor and 22 contributors have ~rodueeda book 4 e d v metallureists in their concern with the theories of the alchkmists an'the phlagistonists. In a book such aa this the chapters covering very broadly t h e ap~lieationsof chemistry true extent of chemical knowledge before any modern theories to agriculture. Since many diverse topics are included the editor has wisely grouped together, in sections, related phases had emerged can be seen. of agriculture1 chemi~try. HENRY M. LEICEWER The first section, P a t I, covers the chemistry of major agriculCommas or Pnrsrcrms *N. BDBGEONS turd products and includes chapters on seed and cereal crops FRANCIBOO. CALIPORNI* (V. H. Morris), fruit and vegetable crops (H. W. Van Loesecke and Z. I. Kertesr), forage crops (J. T. Sullivan), meat and meat products (R. C. Miller), milk and dairy products (A. H. Johnson), 0 GENERAL CHEMISTRY and egg8 and poultry products (R. M. Conrad). In general, William A. Felsing and George W. Watt, Professors of Chemis methods of processing and preservation, factors affecting nutritry, University of Texas. Third edition. McGraw-Hill Book Ca., tive value, general composition, and the manufacture of byha, New York, 1951. x 558 pp. 142 figs. 44 tables. products are discussed. Fertilizers and soil amendments are the mhject of Part 11. 16 X 23.5 cm. $5. The three major fertilizing elements-nitrogen (S. F. Thorntan), T m s text is truly a book of general chemistry rather than potassium (J. D. Romaine), and phosphorus (C. A. Black and an introductory course in physical chemistry, as so many of the W. H. Pierre)-are covered in cdnsiderable detail, including recent first-year texts have proved to be. However, it definitely production, effect on growth and development of plants, losses presents a course "in chemistry" and not just a course "about from the soil, efficiency of various types of fertilizers and their chemistry." Previous work in high-school chemistry is not characteristics. The chapter an mixed ferti;izers (5. F. Thornpresumed. The book lays adequate foundations for a full-year ton). nresents information on orooerties. reactions. and nutrients ~eourse and yet is short enough so that it may be covered com- of E U P ~rnbterinls. Thr pun uf this ..rerim i l r v ~ r ~rod liming pletely and still d a w the individual teacher to exnand those nnr~tia's(.t. C. I ~ i ~ l wrevirws r) sbil rwetim, linw rquiwment, topics that he feels are particularly pertinent to his situation. ural l i ~ i n gmnrm?ls. Alinor rlerncnts (I.:. R. I'urvi:) dircussed The exercise at the ends of the chapters are thought-provoking include boron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. and are within the capabilities of the students. Nearly 300 The third section of the book, Part 111, includes a discussion of problems are integrated into the whole course. They should nutrition of farm animals. These are dairy cattle (5. E. Smith), serve to teach the students the quantitative foundations beef cattle (H. R. Guilbert), horses and mules (P. B. Pearson and of chemistry as they me emphasized in this text. The reading C. F. Winchester), sheep and goruts (P. R. Pearson), poultry lists that follow most of the chapters are outstanding in their (H. W. Titus), swine (R. C. Miller), and domestic and furpertinency and the availability of the journals cited. bearing animals (A. E. Schaeffer). Basic discussions of the The arrangement of topics is rether unconventional. The mechanisms of feed digestion and utilization, specific nutritional sequence used should make it easy to correlate purposeful lab- requirements, nutritional insufficiencies, and toxic conditions oratory work with the lectures. The first half of the book is given and their causes are given. over entirely to a study of the concepts and principles on which Three chapters on pesticides are contained in Part IV and are chemistry is based. Oxygen is the only element considered in written by the editor. Insecticides, fungicides and herbicides any detail in this part of the book. Solutions are discussed quite are discussed, mainly with regard to their chemical composition. early. While atomic structure is discussed early in the text, The last and smallest section, Part V, contains two chapters on the subject of the classification of the elements comes much later. unrelated subject matter. One of these, on inventions and patThus, valence and the probability of reactions between elements ents relating to agricultural chemistry (C. W. Rivsie and A. D. are not integrated with periodic charts in the first half of the Caesar), presents a &urn6 of requirements of patentability. all phases of the assayer's art. These include not only the technical phases of assaying, hut the building of all types of furnaces, the construction of balances, and the manufacture and calibration of weiehts. The book is severelv nractical. The closest annraach toVt,heorvoomes when it states "as far as those cements
+
+
.
. .
~
