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G. H. P. Transactions British My cological Society REVIEW. Pri nciples of Soil 111icrobiology . By SEL MAN A. W AKSMAN. B ailli ere , T indall and Cox: London . I927. pp . xxvii i + 897· Price 45s. This book of nearl y nin e hund red pages hails from the United Stat es of America and is dedicated to the two pioneers, Beijerinck and Winograd sky , both now in their seventies. It is divided int ofour main p ar ts of unequal length which deal, in a t otal of t hirty- two chapters, with the occurrence and diffe ren tiation of microorganisms in the soil , their isolation, ide ntification and cu ltivati on, their ch emi cal ac tivit ies and with soil microbiological pro- cesses and soil fert ility. The book is fr ankly a compi la tion and coversag rea t deal of ground. The aut hor has wisely availed himself of the servi ces of v ari ous specialists, in his own and in other countries, for reading and criti cising many of th e chapters, and presu mably he has profite d thereby. In spit e of this, h owev er, there are occasional slips such as on p. 236 where th e pot at o War t Disease producing organism iSy ncby trium. endobiotic um s is reckoned amongst the Myxomycet es and on p. 276 where Rhieoctonia is said to belong to the Ascomycetes. It may be noted here, also, that proof-reading has been by no mea ns perf ect , for typographical errors occur more fre quently than th ey sho uld. The author himself has paid special attention to soil Actinomycetes and has published several memoirs on the s ubject. P lant pat hologists, and esp ecially t hose interested in the Sca b dis eas es of pot atoes and other crops, will therefore welcome the account given of these or ganisms in cha pter XII. On p. 292 it is stated that" Thet erm colony is used inc orre ctl y in desig natinga mass of growth of an a ctinom yces, sin ce it is merely a mass of mycelium developin g out of a single spore, and not a colony in the sense of bact erial growth ." Th is is perf ectl y true, and deserves the att ent ion of mycologists in con nection with groups of organi sms other than th e Actinomycet es. In dealin g with th e effects resulting from part ial soil sterilisation it is satis- factor y to find th at th e" prot ozoan theory of soil fertil it y " - about which so much has been heard in th is cou ntry t hat one began to wonder whet her its sponsors had not d elud ed themselves into believin g th at it was somet hin g more t han a theor y- takes its proper place in ther anks along with oth er theories th at hav e been advanced to explain thc facts, none of which, however, appears to be quite adequate. In the section (p. 806) dea ling with plant diseases caused by fungi found in the soil, after mentioning Fu sar iu m radic icola and Rhizoctonia Solani it is stated that Phytophth ora infes tans can live saproph ytically in the soil on old par tially decomposed plants, and the work of Miss de Bruyn in Holland is cited . Such a st atem ent is apt to be mis leading , for the reader might s uppose t hat the organism causing the pot at o blight is a more or less common soil inhabit ant. It needs to be emphasised th at thework was done with cultures of the fun gus in sterilised soil, and it wa s ass umed that there was no difference in the behaviour of the fungus towards sterilised and u nsterilised soil, an assumption which many will think totally unwarranted. The last chap ter of the book is devoted to the hist ory of soil microbiology, its past, pres ent and fut ur e, and is, perhaps, a little di sappo inting; for, after a while, it becomes n ot much more t han a catalogue of names and dates; in a mere nin e pages, however, it was scarcely possible to develop thestory mo re adequat ely . The book as a whole may be regarded as a serious and prais ewo rthy at t empt to su rvey a ve ry wid e field ; and although not without cer tain defects it will doubtless be fo und of considerable value by students and research wo rkers . Every page is provided with footnotes referring to the relevant literature, which, as is well known, is widely di stributed in a multitude of pu blications . Fur thermor e, a tw enty page index of authors is supplied at the end. The book is, in fa ct , an up-to-d ate summing up of the vast amount of l iterature on the subject of soil microorganisms and as such will be fo und of very con- siderable val ue for reference purposes.

Selman A. Waksman, ,Principles of Soil Microbiology (1927) Baillière, Tindall and Cox,London xxviii + 897, Price 45 s

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G. H. P.

Transacti ons British My cological Society

REVIEW.Principles of Soi l 111icrobiology . By SELMAN A. W AKSMAN. Bailli ere , Tindall

and Cox : London . I927. pp . xxviii + 89 7· Price 45s.This book of nearly nin e hundred pages hails from the United States of

America and is dedi cated to the two pion eers, Beijerinck and W ino gradsky,both now in their seven t ies. It is divided into four main parts of uneq uallength whi ch dea l, in a t otal of thirty-two chap te rs , with the occurrence anddiffe rentiation of microorganisms in the soil , their isolation, identificationand cultivation , th eir chemical ac tivit ies and with soi l microbiological pro­cesses and soil fertility.

The book is frankly a compilation and covers a great deal of gro und . Theauthor has wisely a va iled himself of the services of various specia lists, in hisown and in other countries, for reading and criticising many of the chapt ers,and presumably he has profited thereby. In spite of this, howev er, there areoccasional slips su ch as on p . 236 where the potato Wart Disease producingorganism iSy ncby trium. endobioticums is reckoned amo ngst t he Myxomycetesand on p. 276 wh ere Rhieoctonia is said t o belong t o the Asco mycetes. Itmay be not ed here, also, that proof-reading has been by no means perf ect , fort yp ographical erro rs occur more frequently than they sho uld.

T he author h imse lf has paid sp ecial attenti on to soil Actinomycetes and hasp ub lished sev eral mem oirs on the subject. P lant pathologist s, and esp eciallyt hose interested in the Sca b diseas es of potatoes a nd ot her crops, will thereforewelcome the account give n of t hese or ganisms in chapte r XII . On p . 292 itis st a t ed that" The term colony is used incorrectly in designating a mass ofgrowth of an actinom yces, sin ce it is merely a mass of mycelium developingout of a sin gle spore , and not a colony in t he sense of bact erial growth." Thisis pe rfectly t rue , and deser ves the attention of mycologist s in con nection withgroups of or ganisms ot her than the Actinom ycetes.

In dealing with the effec ts resu lting from partial soil ste rilisat ion it is sati s­factory to find th at the" protozoan theory of soil fertilit y " - abo ut which somuch has been heard in th is cou ntry t hat one began t o wonder whether itssponsors had not deluded themselves int o believin g that it was somethingmore than a theor y- tak es it s proper place in the ranks a long wit h othertheories that have been advanced t o exp lain thc facts, none of wh ich , however ,appears to be quite adeq ua te.

In t he secti on (p. 806) dealing with plant diseases caused by fu ngi foundin the soi l, a fte r mentioning Fusarium radic icola a nd R hizoctonia Solani it isstated that Phytophth ora infes tans can live saprophytically in the soil on oldpartially decomposed plants, and the work of Miss de Bruyn in H olla nd iscited. Such a sta tem ent is apt to be mis leading, for the reader mig ht supposet hat the organism cau sing the potato blight is a more or less commo n soi linhabita nt . It needs to be emphasised that the work was done with cultu resof the fungus in sterilised soil, and it wa s ass umed t hat t here was no differencein the beh av iour of t he fun gus towards sterilised a nd unsterilised soil , anassumption which man y will think totally unwarr anted .

The last chapter of t he book is devoted t o the history of soi l microbiology,its past, pres ent and future, a nd is, perhaps, a little di sappoint ing ; for, af t era while, it becomes not much mo re t han a catalogue of names and dates ; ina mer e nine pages, however, it was scarcely possible t o develop the storymo re adequately .

The book as a whole may be regarded as a serious and prais eworthy att emptto su rvey a very wid e field ; and although not without certain defects it willdoubtl ess be found of considerable value by students and research workers .E very page is provided with footnotes referring t o the relevant lit era t ure,which, as is well kn own, is widely distributed in a multitude of publications.Furthermore, a twenty page inde x of authors is supp lied at t he end. Thebook is, in fact, an up -to-d ate summing up of the vast amount of literatureon t he subject of soil microorganisms and as such will be found of very con­siderable value for refer ence purposes.