The Agriculture Shelf

Diseases of Field Crops
Clayton A. Hollier, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore
97808905-6697, $$229.00, HC, 405pp

https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=3D2661527A-8D= 44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProduc tCode=3D46697

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Clayton A. Hollier, G. = Boyd Padgett, and Martin A. Draper, "Diseases of Field Crops" covers diseas=
es of 22 major field crops in one comprehensive volume. "Diseases of Field = Crops" describes disease symptoms in the context of environmental condition=
s that influence disease development. "Diseases of Field Crops" features mo=
re than 800 color images of disease symptoms and uses up-to-date pathogen n= omenclature.

Critique: In addition to alphabetically covering field crop diseases rangin=
g from Alfalfa to Wild Rice, "Diseases of Field Crops" is informatively enh= anced with a beginning chapter on 'Integrated Plant Disease Mangement', a t=
wo page listing of the contributors and their credentials, a two page Gloss= ary, and a twenty page Index. Expertly organized and presented, "Diseases o=
f Field Crops" is an ideal textbook and field guide reference -- making it = unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library A= gricultural Studies collections and curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Clayton A. Hollier (https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles= /chollier) is Professor Emeritus: Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology Depar= tment, LSU Agriculture Center.

Editorial Note #2: G. Boyd Pagett is a Professor for the LSU AgCenter and L=
SU College of Agriculture. (https://www.lsu.edu/agriculture/plant/about/fac= ulty-staff/padgett.php)

Editorial Note #3: Martin A. Draper is the Associate Dean for Research and = Graduate programs for the College of Agriculture at the Kansas State Univer= sity. (https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2019/11/draper-permanent-a= ssoc-dean-research.html)

The Washington Apple
Amanda L. Van Lanen
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806190662, $34.95, HC, 298pp

https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Apple-Development-Agriculture-Environment= /dp/0806190663

Synopsis: In the nineteenth century, most American farms had a small orchar=
d or at least a few fruit-bearing trees. People grew their own apple trees =
or purchased apples grown within a few hundred miles of their homes. Nowada= ys, in contrast, Americans buy mass-produced fruit in supermarkets, and rou= ghly 70 percent of apples come from Washington State. So how did Washington=
become the leading producer of America's most popular fruit?

With the publication of "The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development=
of Industrial Agriculture", Professor Amanda L. Van Lanen offers a compreh= ensive response to this question by tracing the origins, evolution, and env= ironmental consequences of the state's apple industry.

Washington's success in producing apples was not a happy accident of nature=
, according to Professor Van Lanen. Apples are not native to Washington, an=
y more than potatoes are to Idaho or peaches to Georgia. In fact, Washingto=
n apple farmers were late to the game, lagging their eastern competitors. P= rofessor Van Lanen deftly outlines the numerous challenges early Washington=
entrepreneurs faced in such areas as irrigation, transportation, and labor=
.. Eventually, with crucial help from railroads, Washington farmers transfor= med themselves into "growers" by embracing new technologies and marketing s= trategies. By the 1920s, the state's growers managed not only to innovate t=
he industry but to dominate it.

Industrial agriculture has its fair share of problems involving the environ= ment, consumers, and growers themselves. In the quest to create the perfect=
apple, early growers did not question the long-term environmental effects =
of chemical sprays. Since the late twentieth century, consumers have increa= singly questioned the environmental safety of industrial apple production. = Today, as "The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial=
Agriculture" reveals, the apple industry continues to evolve in response t=
o shifting consumer demands and accelerating climate change. Yet, through i=
t all, the Washington apple maintains its iconic status as Washington's mos=
t valuable agricultural crop.

Critique: A fascinating and informative history of one of the state of Wash= ington's primary crops, "The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development=
of Industrial Agriculture" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of=
a twelve page Bibliography, thirty-six pages of Notes, and a seven page In= dex. A seminal study and highly recommended for personal, professional, com= munity, and academic library American Agricultural History collections and = supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, aca= demia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject t= hat "The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial Agric= ulture" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note: Amanda L. Van Lanen (https://www.oupress.com/author/amanda-= l-van-lanen) is Associate Professor of History at Lewis-Clark State College=
.. She has published articles in Agricultural History and Journal of the Wes= t.

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