THE WORLD’S COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6371, 20 November 1907, Page 3

THE WORLD’S COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS.

AN ADMIRABLE WORK. "Tim World's Commercial Products.” by W. O. Freeman and S. E. Chandler, with contributions by T. A. Henrv, C. Ik Jones, and E. 11. Wilson (Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons), is the first attempt to give tho public an English book, at once illustrated and inexpensive, descriptive of the economic plants of the world, and of their commercial uses. There have been, of course, valuable works dealing with special groups—works ranging from the jprofusoly illustrated volume to tho paper on individual plant prodnefw—and those works have boon of tho greatest uso and interest to those who possessed thorn, or who could have oosv access to thorn. But thoro is a largo class of r tho community closely connect*

cd with the* imlu.strio* involved who could not afford the expensive variotU.v* of this hind of literature, or who would not read others than those written in English, or who wore out of the way of consulting such works ms were not offered for general circulation. 'To thid large class “The World's Commor- j cial Trod nets " mihc appeal with great j force. Tlio information is given in Eng-' Jish, and in English at that which is [ties. The iK>ok is written by men wlio i bavo had particular opportunities of ' studying tfm matter from a point of view which covers tho whole* world, whilst: it i* largely interested in the outlying part of iho British Empire. Tims -Mr \V. G. Freeman is the superintendent of tho colonial economic collection* of tho Imperial Institute, whilst Hr IS. E. Chandler is one of his assistants. One of iheso gentlemen finds himself equipped by so mo years' stay la the tropics, in Ceylon, the West Indies, and \Vest ’ Africa, to describe tho plant products! from first-hand knowledge, ivhitst Ixith | 'of them have at their disposal a col- 1 1 fiction of material and of exhibits which : is not within tho reach of every observer. Jvxpcrts have written on their own i subjects. Tims Dr T. A. Henry con- : tribute* the section* on gums, resins, 'dyes, tars, and essential oils; Mr 0. F. 1 Jones those on oils and fruits and yegc- ( 1 tables. One can best get an itlca of tho ; ! scope and the manner of tho book by | taking one item. Take tobacco, for instance, a plant of great commercial j importance, as well a* of social intor- ] est. Wo are told how the tobacco of ’commerce is prepared from the leaves, of but very few of the prisonous species of Nicolianu; of the sources of tho great bulk of the world'* supply;-the nature of the plant, its powers, its discovery, the origin of the name; how Europeans first knew of it. and how Nicot’s name is identified with it- Then we have what may bo called the social history of tobacco; as. for instance, how rules fulminated against it, even going so far as, in Holland, to fine persons found “sucking” it, and, in Russia, lo forbidding its ('use by royal proclamation. Then wo come to the botany and tho chemistry of tobacco, and eo on to its commercial classification, information being given under this latter heading of the extent to which tho herb is used in diiVorcnt countries, of tho kind of tobacco which is most highly esteemed in various centres, the value of tho Importation, and so forth. There is a long and interesting chanter on the cultivation of tobacco in the United States, and wo are told all about the curing process, about fermentation, and about manufacture. All this is illustrated with numerous pictures. Similar thoroughness ie to be found nil through this j valuable work; whether tho authors treat of tobacco or of tea, of cotton, or oven of the humble jute, they impart the information at thoir disposal in a simple and useful fashion. The work la on ©ale in the Dominion. A copy should bo in every rural school.