New-York tribune., 1903-06-12
NEV PUBLICATIONS.
Wheat Grosring, Coins and Other
Themes.
Themes.


Mr William c. Edgar has been for number
Of wears manager and editor of -four millihs
journal and has had such practical experience
in the transportation and distribution OF gram
as came TO him while organizing ana suPeiih-
tending the relief movement during the RUSSIAN
famine in 1891 In The Story Of a Grain OF
zrbea+. IN Annleton & Cob he complies the
facts about the history of the culture in ancient
times and to-day the practices in England Ar
sentina and this country in preparing the gram
for market, the progress Of milling anu une
matter of transportation, with its at'ehoant
problerns These aspects of the subject ne pre-
sents with directness and not without interest
Sneaking Of the future of the wheat produc-
ton of Argentina, Mr.. Edgar is less inclined 20
grow enthusiastic over the capabilities OF the
country than have been some travellers VINO
have recently given us the benefit Of their op-
servations Indeed. though he anticipates a
normal increase with the opening OF new rail-
wavs and facilities in reaching markets. ne re-
marks that 'it will be long. If the time ever
comes when Argentina will occupy posluoh
materially different from her present one as a
,,rox,i5er Of the worlds breadstuffs." It seems
20 the author quite probable. though as Fet the
facts which serve as bases for the hypothesis
are only enough advanced to produce war
rantahle suggestion. that the United states, Win
,ts marvellous developments in wheat growing IN
.ba West and Northwest Will not remain lhe
Y,-incinsl producer Of the worlds supply west
ern Canada. in spite Of the lesser inchnauoh ol
fts inhabitants as compared with our "es'eili
settlers has shown a surprising frultfuiless aiiu
adautability not unlikely 10 bring 1t more anu
more TO the front
Modern invention has caused a marked cieav-
age between the growing Of wheat and the mill
ing so much so that the manufacture OF houf
be
rope and this country
sDcb a modern Industry that the statist-
csl authorities al Washington are sun unduIe ~
dfferentiate between flour and grlst nllllS, au
q viii take ct least another decade for BRUSH
go American statesmen to understand that the
business Of -four making has ceased TO pe
serni-aericultural occupation and mas long pc
co-na q ereaf commercial industry. The inland
and ocean carriers, the legislators, the nalloHdl
authorities and the general pubic 90 not Set
understand that the expectation OF a couhiS
wheat instead Of its flour is not an evidence oi
q nations welfare but rather the measure OF us
lost opportunities and commercial blunder- Inc
td,,etrv as il Is to-day is so new that the miller
who sold the first spring wheat hour ABROAD Is
still in the prime Of life, and other fliers wno @
saw the dawn Of the new era, as well as the
,rinine engineers who installed the first OF the
modern machines. are still engaged in active
business.
On = subiect where ignorance of this sort
exists such an informing volume should re-
ceive due welcome It is compactly written, and
chosen and reproduced.
Another bit of exposition of less novel nature
IS furnished for use textbook in Lord ave
burv'g Short History of Coins and Currency
R p Dutton G. Coz. The book is founded on
the address given by the author some years ago
sc first rresident of the Institute of Bankers and
rewritten TWO years ago for delivery before the
London Institution. second part has been
.5dad in which e discussed the weight OF
coins the standards adopted, and the means
which have been taken at various times 10
strengthen CT to debase the currency The law
,,non the issue Of banknotes is also expoundeo
The story of currency as 1t Is left recorded III
coins is simply told firm the days or Hornerlc
barter to the issues of Edward VII AS a brleI
,racffcal summary of the subject the essay
serves its purpose Frequent references are
made in the text to the numerous half tone re-
productions of coins. in diverse and reverse,
upon a black ground. The occasional quota
tion which will be expected by any one famlllar
with the authors books is not lacking. and a
.ist Of English coins from the Conquest down is
added from Mr. Grueber's handbook.
.rrhe anhorist should be so charged with cos
mic dust that every time he strikes earth a
meteor should fash out So read in the
five hundredth paragraph of the book of
t'Aphorisrns' (Alfred Bartlett). by Ivan Panin.
There are very nearly seven hundred aphorisms
.n this odd little volume. classed under 'Sor-
row" Love and Charity God" Religion,
Truth Wisdom and Folly" and other heads
Some five hundred and fifty are the aphorlsms
by which the author wished be judged as a
literary craftsman, in accordance with the
standards laid down in the section on Letters
and Art" from which have quoted above.
The remaining aphorisms he considered inferior,
and are appended in alpha betical order Il
would be somewhat of task to apply the stand
ards enunciated. For example the author has
observed that of two men dressed alike, a
slight tip of the hat would determine the differ
ence in their station; and the difference between
the clever writer and the man of genius is
chiefly in the tip of his hat" We have never
seen the tip of the authors hat, and how. there
fore can by this standard decide whether
he is 10 be set down clever man or merely a
geniuse Then there is the category of the
great writer" He it seems. is a great writer
.'vho has aught to say that is the heads
of his hearers it might have been some as
distance TO learn how other authors stood after
Judgment by these standards. But here again
Goes this quality Of greatness impress US.
Dante read, "a huge sigh projected on
the stereopticon screen; Ruskin. "a huge
church spire upside down; Schopenhauer 'an
alarm clock wrongly set" II one were in the
business one might admit that there is no new
ephorism out of print, and there is nothing
greatly surprising 10 find in the course of seven
hundred detached thoughts such rather familiar
observations as these: A" 'Tis well TO remern Der
that no rose is without its thorn; better still to
remember that thorns roses are
found; "the heavens are reflected even in
puddle: t'the ass is not the wiser for being
loaded with books An inclination to regard
these as somewhat classic overlook US until