Evening star., 1925-06-21
SOIL AND CIVILIZATION Bv M

Agriculture. New York: D. Val
NoStrand Co.
1t is q commonplace that to the lay
mans lukewarm consideration knowl
edge turns an unSmiling face, where
as to the dedicate student 1t opens
a free heart. And of all the various
subjects of knowledge none seems t,
offer less to the layman than that o
so1ls-agravel, sand, clay, loam or othe
soil what-not. Dead matter to him
whereas to those of the soil profession
like this author. 1t stands a Twins
and productive issue. Indeed, Mr.
whitney here projects the soil as al
organism of interdependent parts
much as plants and animals, includins
man himself, are orga nisms. To i
ne ascrioes organic functionS-diges
ton, circulation, respiration and as
slmilatfon, with a bony skeleton t
support and protect these vital part.
and processes. And in the differen
types OF soil he sees a likeness t
the human separations that represent
racial variations within the limits O.
a general unity. According to hi.
conception each type of soil is match
ed In 1ts nature with certain forms o.
plant life which it is able to produce
In rich abundance of exclusive quail
lty. The great practical problem i:
TO bring these two elements together
The whole earth stands waiting
deserts and waste places no less thar
tillase -itself-for the conjunction o,
each soil type with its particular plant
affinity in order that the whole fabric
of civilization may move forward
securely upon that fecundity of the
soil which is its sole stable founda
ton.
No. this is not romancer weaving
fanciful worlds out of thin-spur
theories. A plodding scientist, in
stead. .-who out of years of special
research in this field has arrived at
certain definite and important way
stations along the road of science in
Its application to a subject of world
wide concern. 1t is true that, once
Initiated into the mysteries of the
soil and so at home with them that
they are no longer mysteries, Mr.
Whitney does indulge himself for the
moment with a vision of the earth
completely engirdled with husbandry
It's harveStS Of an abundance and
variety to secure mankind in his
heritage Of an enduring and progress
sive civilization.
In the main, however, the study
IS a clear exposition of the findings
Of science applied to soil, with an
outreach from this point to the his
tory OF faded and forgotten empires
and a final coming back to man him
self as the controlling factor in this
story of Soil and Civilization" The
true nature of the soil and it's poten
cfes OF production-this is the main
theme. To 1t the author adds a sum
mary Of the last hundred years of sci
ence in its effect upon the subject
the chemistry of the soil, the physics
of engineering projects, crops, trans
portation and the rest of the sol
revelation brought about by science
An amazing hundred years the au
thor sketches. a century that advances
husba ndry more than all the other
periods of recorded history have done
He describes the awakening of the
farmer to this new era and the meas
ureS that have been instituted fol-
his instruction and encouragement by
way of Federal and State agencies
and by private initiative as well
And yet, the author makes clear, it is
the farmer himself who is not yet
fully awake either to his own oppor
tunity or to the common need. He
cites history to show that this has
always been the case-that it is not
the soil that fails, but man that lags
behind the solicitations of the earth
itself. Empires-Syr:a. Mesopotamia
Egypt, Greece and Rome-failed not
because the soil refused further sup
port, but because man by ignorance
and Indifference and warfare de-
stroyed the civilizations that had been
SO gloriously builded around him from
time to time in the worlds history.
Scientific in spirit, practical in out
look. convincing in method. this study
presents a theme Of usually unappeal
ing quality in a manner TO enlist not
only the body to which it is directly
addressed, but to readers generally
who are interested in important mat
ters that are put over with zeSt and
interest and drama. A novel expert
ence to read a book like Soil and
Civilization" as one would read ad
venture.
HISTORY OF THE CABINET OF
THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. BY William Henry
Smith, author of The History OF
Indiana" etc. Illustrated. Balti
more: The Industrial Printing Co
No other institutional part Of the
United States Government is relatively
so little known in the sum of it's gen
eral history as is the cabinet Of the
President. A result due, in part. to
the fact that this body is, in effect
but a projection of the President
himself into the various fields of ex-
ecutive capacity. There are, it is true
periods Of high service standing to
The account of the cabinet, and many
a familiar example of exceptional in
dividual craftsmanship. Upon the
whole, however, this is an obscure
chapter in the history of govern
mental agencies.
AS one skeletonizes leaf by dis
solving away the soft tissue that
more or less conceals it's framework
SO here Mr. Smith lifts the history
of the cabinet out from the mass Of
concealing circumstances in which 1t
Is set in order to give an unobstruct-
ed view of this body-itS purpose
its origin, its functions, it's achieve
ments, and its full personnel.
The book constitutes one of the
helpful releases of herded and i'm
prisoned knowledge which wise men
nowadays are effecting for. the prac-
tical use of students in special lines
of research. Compact, we'll organized
complete and authentic. here within
easy reach of the student is the study
of an important branch of Govern
ment history adequately treated by
one who is obviously well equipped
for such research.
A roster or ca ablnet omcerS ADDS an
interesting personal touch to the
general discussion of the origin and
functions of the cabinet. An admir-
ably complete book of reference upon
this subject.
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS. BY
Dorothy Walworth Carman. New
York; Harper & Brothers.
Though in another sphere and on
a different level, this Is as clear a
tragedy as either that of Lear. or
Hamlet. "A much more immediate and
poignant tragedy to us than these be-
cause it comes closer and is dressed