Evening star., 1934-03-17
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C.. BOWERMAN.

A LIVING FROM THE LAND. BY
William B. Duryee, M. Sc. New
York: Whittlesey House. Nc
Graw-Hill Book Co.
| The very title chosen for his book
by the secretary of agriculture of
New Jersey Is optimistic. 1t suggests
that a living may be obtained from
the Iand-without Government aid.
Optimism is, however, prevented from
becoming too exuberant when we find
that Mr.. Duryee is writing primarily
for the family which desires only
partial economic security from the
land. To him a real home is a coun-
try home, and he finds that "home-
steading days are here again." that
there Is movement of people back
to the land. He suggests that the
city worker who needs additional in
come may establish a country home
stead which will be not a luxury, but
source of revenue, If the proper
knowledge is brought to the project.
The shorter working week will per-
NIT those whose principal work is in
the city to give much time to the
secondary occupation Of farming. His
book supplies at least the theoretical
knowledge in such an interesting way
that the reader is tempted to go off
Immediately and acquire a small
farm. with Just the right kind Of
soil.
The first essential is to get
started right: that is, to find the
| right tract of land, not too large,
where taxes are not too high, from
which here is good transportation to
the city, where there are buildings
adapted 20 the needs of the pur-
chaser, where electricity is available.
where educational and community
opportunities are good, and especially
where the soil has crop-producing
capacity. Valuable specific advice Is
given on all these points and on
financing and protecting the invest
ment When the farm has been pur-
chased and the family has moved in,
perhaps after building a new dwell
ing, for which an attractive plan is
given, and the servicing of the home
has been arranged (there are good
suggestions for this, too), then the
crops must be planned and planted.
The excitement now begins in ear
nest and reaches its climax when the
first food from the garden Is brought
to the table or marketed. This is
q very practical book. In addition
to chapters packed with useful coun-
sci, 1t contains several series Of
dos" and "don'ts," diagrams, illus
trations from photographs, and tables
OF planting, amounts of seed, insect
pests and remedies. A good reference
list Of other books completes the
volume.
WHILE ROME BURNS. BY Alexan-
der Woollcott. New York: The
Viking Press.
A very good d-natured Nero In the
person of Alexander Woollcott plays
on a whole orchestra of instruments
while the distraught world, not quite
burning yet, is pleasantly diverted.
This volume is composed Of a mis-
cellany from his magazine sketches,
anecdotes, horror stories and COM
ments on famous and less famous
persons. The initial paper Is q
tribute, (which Brand Whitlock
should have written (but might not
write)" to the Marquis of Villalobar,
gallant, deformed Ambassador from
Spain to Belgium during the World
War. In another, Frank Lloyd Wright
is accorded the highest praise as
the outstanding creative genius of
our time in architecture. When Mr..
Woollcott writes of the wife of Henry
Adams and the well" which James
Truslow Adams holds over her death
in his biography of Henry Adams,
he becomes aggressively satiric and
upholds the "inalienable privilege" of
the poor lady" to take her own life.
In one group of the essays he has
revised some of his correspondence
from Russia and tells something Of
the daily experiences of fat man
in the Soviet Union" Theater going
in China and lunching and dining
in Japan, where so much food fell
off his chopsticks that he got all
the good effects of undertaking with
out subjecting my will power to any
strain" are other subjects derived
from his foreign travels. Several
notorious crimes which have figured
in the news receive ironical COM
ment in the division entitled 1T May
Be Human Gore" Among them are
the killing of Mr. Bennett in Kansas
City by his wife after a quarrel at
the bridge table, which was finally
adjudged accidental the case Of
Eugene Cedarholm Of Brooklyn, who
mysteriously disappeared and has
never since been heard from, whose
rents were collected and checks
caShed by Edward L. Hall, now serv-
ing in Sing Sing what Is practically
a life sentence; and the hanson cab
mystery OF Nan Patterson. Alexander
Woollcott, formerly a prominent ora
matte critic, has recently devoted
his time to gossipy magazine articles,
lecturing, and broadcasting. His
witty. rather flippant style and his
unerring aim in puncturing human
vanities have made him popular with
wide public.
THE MEMOIRS OF Vim IN 7
NOLTE. "reminiscences in the
Period Of Anthony Adverse. Or
Fifty Years in Both Hemispheres.
BY Vincent Nolte. Translated
from the German. New York;
| G. Howard Watt.
The Vincent Nolte Of the Memoirs
was an adventurer of unlimited
energy and curiosity about life. Her
vey Allen discovered the Memoirs and
drew abundantly upon them for his
character of Vincent Nolte in AN
thony Adverse" whom he made al
most a rival of Anthony. The re-
publication Of N0lte's "reminiscences
may catch some of the tide of AN
thony Adverse" readers, but degree
Of doubt Is involved. There is q
saturation point for picturesque ad-
venture. Vincent Nolte was born IN
Leghorn in l779, where his father, O
native of Hamburg, was a partner IN
the firm of a relative, Otto Franck
Vincent began his own mercantile
career in the same firm in 1875, a
year before the French under Ma
poleon entered Leghorn. He shortly
went to Hamburg. but did not stay
there. He never stayed anywhere for