Abstract
OUR knowledge of the plant viruses has increased enormously in the last decade. We have not yet, however, arrived at any definite conclusion as to the nature of this interesting group of pathogens. In this book, the whole problem of virus diseases and their etiology is compressed into seventy-five pages, with, in addition, twenty-five pages of bibliography. The first chapter is devoted to a very short account of the general subject. The second deals with the relation of the virus to its host plant with special reference to some of the better known viruses. It is not quite certain that the suggestions in the section on cytology, that a 1/12 in. oil immersion lens is necessary for the examination of the X-bodies and that these bodies frequently disappear by the erosion of the protoplasmic stream, would meet with general acceptance among cytologists. Chap, iii is devoted to the physical and chemical properties of the virus so far as these are known. The fourth chapter deals with the important problem of the insect transmission of the disease and gives some meagre notes on the treatment of insects under experi-mentation. The chapter on the economic effects and the control of the disease is probably the most useful in the book. It deals with methods for preventing the spread of the disease. The classification and description of virus diseases is dealt with in chap. vi.
Virus Diseases of Plants.
By Dr. John Grainger. Pp. viii + 104 + 6 plates. (London: Oxford University Press, 1934.) 6s. net.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Virus Diseases of Plants . Nature 133, 435 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133435b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133435b0