More than two years ago we had the pleasure of noticing, with
favourable comment, a new book, _Bits from Blinkbonny_, by ‘John
Strathesk.’ It was a clever and entertaining book, presenting
successive pictures of Scottish village life drawn with so much truth
and character as at once to stamp them genuine portraitures.
The author, encouraged no doubt by the well-merited success of the
above volume, has issued a second, entitled _More Bits from Blinkbonny_
(Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, and Ferrier). ‘Continuations’ are
proverbially risky, and we fear we cannot congratulate the author on
having escaped the risk unscathed. The title will perhaps help the
book temporarily—from a publisher’s point of view; but it would have
fared better in the long-run had it been issued as an independent
work on village life in Scotland, leaving the former volume to stand
by itself. As it is, however, it is only when compared with its
predecessor that this volume may be said to indicate any falling-off
on the part of the author. It is full of bright and truthful sketches
of the habits of life and modes of thought prevalent in the Scottish
Lowlands, and can scarcely fail to be read with interest by those to
whom such sketches appeal. Here is a story told by a barber regarding
one of his customers. The customer referred to was a man who got his
hair cut only twice a year, and when he came for this purpose it was
always completely matted. The barber recommended him to ‘redd’ (that
is, comb) his hair every day. ‘No very likely,’ was the reply; ‘it’s
only redd every six months, and then it’s like to rive a’ the hair out
o’ my head; if I was reddin’t every day, I wadna hae a hair left at the
month’s end.’
The volume, we may add, is tastefully printed and bound, while the
pictorial illustrations give force to its local characterisations.
⁂
In _Photography for Amateurs_ (London: Cassell & Co.), Mr T. C.
Hepworth, lecturer to the late Polytechnic Institution, gives excellent
hints and instructions for beginners in this art. For those who
have taken up photography as a pleasant occupation of their leisure
hours, this book can be especially recommended. Most travellers in
Central Africa, or in any little known part of our world, now find
the photographic camera a necessary adjunct of their equipment, as,
by its aid, rapid and correct pictures can be made of striking and
picturesque scenes. This is equally true of a pedestrian at home, and
Mr Hepworth looks back with delight to a walking tour in the Highlands,
when he found so many lovely little nooks in the Trosachs and elsewhere
admirably suited to his art. The effective delineation of objects by
photography demands both care and experience; but there are now many
amateurs of both sexes who can turn out very satisfactory pictures.
Landscape photography is one thing, and portraiture is another and
more difficult undertaking, for the inexperienced; but with the help
of such a manual as this, which describes the necessary apparatus,
negative-printing, fixing and washing the prints, &c., the way must be
greatly smoothed for beginners in the art. The Introduction presents a
concise history of the art up to the time when the use of gelatine dry
plates made the practice of photography more convenient and possible
for amateurs.
⁂
Lately we noticed in these pages the publication of a volume of
music entitled _The Athole Collection of Dance Music of Scotland_,
edited by Mr James Stewart Robertson (Edradynate). To this we have
now to add by the same publishers, _The Killin Collection of Gaelic
Songs_, with music and translations, by Mr Charles Stewart (Edinburgh,
Maclachlan and Stewart). In selecting and arranging the melodies in
this collection, the editor has borne in mind (1) Those that have
already established themselves as favourites; (2) Those that have not
been published until now, but which, in his opinion, are deserving of
publication; (3) Some ancient chants to which the Fingalic poetry was
sung; and (4) A few hymn tunes—one of them old, and the others on the
lines of old Gaelic melody, in the hope of showing how admirably that
melody is fitted for sacred song. Mr Stewart has been assisted by Mr
Merryleas in arranging the harmonies and accompaniments; and in the
supplying of English words for the Gaelic originals he has had the
efficient help of such well-known pens as those of Principal Shairp,
Professor Blackie, Dr Norman Macleod, and others. This collection of
Gaelic music ought to have a hearty reception, not only from those who
are familiar with Celtic surroundings, but also from students of music
generally, as an important contribution to the history and archæology
of the art.
⁂
The International Forestry Exhibition of 1884 gave a new impetus to
the study of forestry. The importance of that science is now coming
to be generally recognised, and private individuals, as well as those
mysterious beings ‘the authorities,’ are bestowing some attention upon
the practical application of its principles. Dr J. C. Brown has, more
than any other living writer, identified himself with this important
subject, and it is worthy of notice that all the works which have been
produced by his prolific pen during the last few years are remarkable
for their wide learning, profound and practical acquaintance with the
science as practised all over the world, and happy style of expression.
His _Introduction to the Study of Modern Forest Economy_ (Edinburgh:
Oliver & Boyd) is no exception to this rule. Within very moderate
limits, he has contrived to convey much information relative to the
present state of forest-science.
The facts relating to the time when the greater part of Europe was
covered with forests are of great interest, and also the account
here given of the consequences of their disappearance. And it may be
observed that in addition to such generally admitted evils as the
scarcity of timber and droughts—as to the latter of which Dr Brown
gives us many graphic illustrations, collected during his residence
at the Cape of Good Hope—it is alleged that many of those devastating
inundations which occur with such alarming frequency in some countries
are due to this cause. It is certainly worthy of notice that floods
seldom originate in densely wooded lands, and have been largely
prevented in France by artificial _reboisement_; while in Northern
Germany, the same process has been very successfully followed in fixing
down and utilising drift-sand.
⁂
To judge by the examples of stuffed pets which are to be seen in
many private houses, there certainly seems to be room for a handbook
on the art of stuffing fish, flesh, and fowl. This has at anyrate
been supplied in _Practical Taxidermy_, by Montague Brown, F.Z.S.
(London: L. Upcott Gill). As a ‘manual of instruction to the amateur in
collecting, preserving, and setting up natural history specimens of all
kinds,’ the volume leaves little to be desired. Not only has Mr Brown
betrayed many of the secrets with which professional taxidermists have
sought to surround their art, but he has particularised with minuteness
and patience the whole _technique_ of skinning and preserving birds,
mammals, fishes, and reptiles. Moreover, his book justifies its title,
for it is above all things practical. Besides being a guide to the
taxidermist’s art, the book gives a chapter on ‘dressing and softening
skins and furs as leather.’
⁂
The study of the diseases of plants offers a very wide field to the
inquirer, and it is only of recent years that investigations in this
direction have come to be regarded as of economic importance. In spite
of the strong prejudices of agriculturists of the old school, it is
believed that vegetable pathology will prove to be of the greatest
practical value, and that the time is approaching when the best means
of preventing the attacks of disease will be a recognised branch of
practical agriculture. This eventuality is certainly indicated by the
appearance of _Diseases of Field and Garden Crops, chiefly such as are
caused by Fungi_, by Worthington G. Smith (London: Macmillan & Co.).
Originally delivered as addresses at the request of the officers of the
Institute of Agriculture at the British Museum, South Kensington, these
notes are very full and elaborate, while the admirable illustrations
with which they are accompanied give them an additional value. Although
necessarily technical, the definition of all the phenomena of the
diseases has been given in familiar words, and all botanical terms
have been explained. To illustrate the thoroughness with which the
work has been done, having regard to the limits of the volume, we find
under ‘Potatoes’ the new disease (_Peziza postuma_) which has made its
appearance within the last few years, the dreaded disease produced by
the parasitic fungus of the murrain, the smut, scab, and the old potato
disease in its active and passive state. Then mildew and blight are
treated of as affecting respectively onions, straw, turnips, cabbages,
grass, corn, borage, barberries, parsnips, peas, and lettuces. There
are also valuable notes upon the new diseases which are making such
havoc with grass, wheat, barley, ryegrass, and onions; and their
fungoid character is conclusively established. The book, like those on
cognate subjects by Miss Ormerod, which have been already noticed in
these pages, will amply repay careful study.