NEW BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 9

NEW BOOKS.

"The , : Ways -of-Many"Waters/ , ■:^By l " ; B. ; 'J. ;-■ Brady. ■■Melbourrio: - Lothian;London: Wal- ,;;: W Scott;-;35. ; 6d.::y : ,-■-x v ..:; . ;/.:■•■: .-,-:Tho"admirers-pf:Mr.. Brady/a;'excellent'seasongs '-will - be rclad -to ihavo i-this attractive: edition of- "The Ways, of-Many .Waters.",. Binding/and print are particularly good (the ; work was done m England),.but. l the'chief attraction is the, multitude, of illustrations by Alex Sass. These 'yigorbus-.little ■ sketches, in which the'atmosphere of the verses, is skilfully preserved. Mr.. Brady's use is, a! coarsb rhythmical muse, but ishe is genuine-and .has something td say,- and says.'itan sonorous','ringing/njelodics'. , To anyone weary of .the artificial, sweetness and footlights passions of: so much "Australasian yersei'. thoro is-.tonic-in'Mr. , Brady's, co'atslcoves poems..' lit: is.i as -good, as ,a i.brisk 'wall: over the-'hills; in: the/ early.vriiorning ~to ...Keep company''with the"men. "with 'a :sang-wih-airy ■Scotchman round 'the.:, sang-wiri-airy Horn;" There .is.: ; m6re: vital'matter;.=in: these fine 'chanties than' in;:almost''any, , ,yolume/ of ■Australian verse issued for'years: and ii is pleasant to know/that anew edition; has been 'found necessary. : "'/■:■; .' v' l '"'/ '.."''. .. . "The Revelation of Britain.." .By Charles C. vKeade.- Auckland-.VGordbp. and Gotch,. :•' i Ltd. '■■&:■■ '■]■:■ v ."■■: ■■>;:-fN- ■■'"■'/•■ ■■ - ■j\Hr. Beade is an Auckland, journalist who collects ' hero a'.- sories - ,of■; newspaper... articles written as the result, of some observations .made during a .visit to Britain. He is kind enough to tell' us ,tha't : his discussion : pf: the,'social economics of, BVita'in' v &oP'Tnspired>by'.:a'!!!!«lesire to land," and,really.thjsis,a be grateful for.: Wlfen h'e', : does not; trust .himself to'dogmatism on; generatquestionsj.llr.Eeade is interesting-? J He. gives- us ,; some: good- accounts of the;British,isteel,.industry j , and,.compiles a. lisefnl' raa^-b£ ,; informati6B ; ,'upori':town-pla'nhing and'municipal' tradings-There aro some striking phbtographjs of tho old and new : methods of housing.' .Most of the. piotufes,' however,' are'qf-.'a kind that will ■ the popular; bnt stupid : notion that:Britain',is really 'and truly'.that "beast with a'heart of , iitbno"'which sensible,people , know she is,not.';Mr.:Keade's book would be worth more notice if he: had thought of. showing us the other! side of -the shield.- ' ■ "■' .■'.. ■'.■■.'"'•'^/.■■' : :.■■■Xα. ■■■'■'.'■:'■'•'.''"[

"The''Evils'of Deforestation , .'' bVJ.'P. Gross- • '< • -mann; , ' , M;A.- '■':. Co.--v : v^^>","i ■-'•■■ •■ Mr. Grossiaann, has not an expert knowledge of, forestry, as he tells us in his [preface,. but he has nevertheless written "a book' of; very great value, , and one which we should like to see in the hands.bf evsry.iintelligent.'inember of, the House of : representatives. '. The worst evils'of deforestation'are those jwhich do not interest the ' timber': merchants.-.:■ :.They show themselves in'the injury whichis'done ,to the climate, the soil; and the fertility. and reproductive power of .the country. Thirty years, ago Captain Campbell Walker read a paper before the"'Mew Zealand Institute on "The Climatic and "Financial Aspects, of Forest Conservancy as Applicable to New Zealand, in the course of which he said.that he.found "a host of evidence;.tending to' prove that the general destruction of,:forests, has rendered climate more trying,'less'equable, and devoid of sufficient moisture;:in short, has caused it :to deteriorate both with respect'.to -its effects upon, the health; of,man and other. animals, and upon the .fertility and productiveness of the soil." 'The'physical effects of deforestation make one of the /most. interesting studies, conceivable, and he will be! dull ;whp is not fascin-ated-by this volume, and who does not realise tho great urgency "of the problem involved. The little book is profusely, illustrated with a most remarkable, collection of photographs, Which,' by themselves, :-are sufncient ;to impress' even the most careless reader..with the evils 'of■ deforestation. We; may note particularly the pictures showing; results of deforestation in China, and those showing: how the disappearance-of the bush has led,to floods in some of our New' Zealand rivers.. : . .- . •