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Seed to civilization: The story of food
329
formation on some of the latest literature on organic agriculture. Both agricultural scientists and students should find these papers of great value. D. PIMENTEL
(Department of Entomology Cornell University Ithaca, N Y 14853 U.S.A.)
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
Seed to Civilization: the Story o f Food. 2nd edn. Charles R. Heiser, Jr., W.H. Freeman, 1981, 254 pp., £6.20 (paperback), ISBN 0-7167-1265-2; £13.40 (hard cover), ISBN 0-7167-1264-4. "Seed to Civilization" traces the development of agriculture from its origins, detailing where, when and how mankind's food plants and animals were domesticated. It describes the patterns o f food use and distribution that have developed from prehistoric times to the present. Virtually all of the food plants were domesticated in prehistoric times. Although little att e m p t is being made to bring new wild plants into cultivation, some effort is being made to develop 'new' food plants from long-neglected domesticated ones. The book is devoted almost entirely to basic food crops. Only one chapter deals with animals and the final chapter summarizes the general problem of world hunger at present. The author, a botanist, argues that only one chapter is given to animals because all of our carbohydrates and nearly three-quarters of our protein derive from plant sources. There is some mention of the uses of plants and animals for purposes other than food, such as religious and other ceremonial reasons, and fibre. The various theories regarding the origins of agriculture are discussed. Agriculture probably had its origins in the Near East, not necessarily in Mesopotamia, but more likely in the semi-arid mountainous areas nearby. We are not certain what happened in other places. Only about 50 animals have been domesticated including the honey bee and the silk moth. The dog has been thought to be the first domesticated animal. Other animals discussed are sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, horses, pigs and chickens. Some New World domesticates such as the llama are briefly mentioned. The other chapters deal with plants. One chapter is devoted to the origin, hybridization and other development of the "grasses", wheat, rice, maize, and sorghum. Other chapters deal with sugar cane and beets, coconuts, sunflower and cotton, legumes and starchy staples. The chapter on legumes describes beans, peas, peanuts and soybeans, among others. Cultivated lentils and peas appear in the archaeological record in the Near East nearly as early as wheat and barley, the first two plants cultivated. In the Far East the soy-
330
bean was domesticated early. The starchy staples discussed include the potato, the sweet potato, yam, taro, manioc, the banana and breadfruit. A further chapter mentions fruits, nuts, beverages and spices. The final chapter gives a general overview of the world hunger problem. The author concludes that the solution to the food problem cannot be found in the oceans, algae or fungi, protein from leaves, or from any new crop. Since the great bulk of our diet for the foreseeable future will come from traditional sources, we should concentrate on improving the yields of these and other plants. Since it is unlikely that reduction of livestock will release more land to food production, we can stop growing non-essential plants such as tea, coffee and tobacco. This would, however, contribute to hunger by creating unemployment. Increased multiple cropping and intercropping could produce more food on the same land. This b o o k is a revision of an earlier edition. It includes some new ideas on the origins of agriculture and solution to hunger. It expands the coverage of plants and adds chapters on sugar and oil crops. It is seldom that a b o o k presents so much information in such a fluent and elegant style. It is therefore useful to the scholar and the educated layman. M.R. BISWAS (76 Woodstock Close Oxford OX2 6HP G t. Britain}
LIVESTOCK WASTE
Managing Livestock Wastes. James A. Merkel, Avi Publishers, Westport, CT, 1981, 375 pp. (approx.), U.S. $22.50 (U.S. and Canada), U.S. $24.50 (elsewhere), ISBN 0-87055-373-9. In the course of the last thirty years or so the number of farm animals produced intensively has risen steadily and created voluminous amounts of livestock wastes that have presented a threat to the quality of air and water supply. In order to cope with this threat new methods and techniques for handling, storing, treating and/or disposing of the wastes have been required. Agricultural engineers have responded to the situation b y contributing r e search programmes and developing techniques capable of solving many of the existing problems. A great deal of this information has been made available to researchers and producers through the use of a whole range of publications and fact-sheets. Engineering and other societies have organised international symposia and technical sessions and, in consequence, there is now a great deal of information available, some of which has been published in one form or another b u t the information is widely scattered and not easily found. The purpose of Professor Merkel's text is to provide, in a single publi-
formation on some of the latest literature on organic agriculture. Both agricultural scientists and students should find these papers of great value. D. PIMENTEL
(Department of Entomology Cornell University Ithaca, N Y 14853 U.S.A.)
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
Seed to Civilization: the Story o f Food. 2nd edn. Charles R. Heiser, Jr., W.H. Freeman, 1981, 254 pp., £6.20 (paperback), ISBN 0-7167-1265-2; £13.40 (hard cover), ISBN 0-7167-1264-4. "Seed to Civilization" traces the development of agriculture from its origins, detailing where, when and how mankind's food plants and animals were domesticated. It describes the patterns o f food use and distribution that have developed from prehistoric times to the present. Virtually all of the food plants were domesticated in prehistoric times. Although little att e m p t is being made to bring new wild plants into cultivation, some effort is being made to develop 'new' food plants from long-neglected domesticated ones. The book is devoted almost entirely to basic food crops. Only one chapter deals with animals and the final chapter summarizes the general problem of world hunger at present. The author, a botanist, argues that only one chapter is given to animals because all of our carbohydrates and nearly three-quarters of our protein derive from plant sources. There is some mention of the uses of plants and animals for purposes other than food, such as religious and other ceremonial reasons, and fibre. The various theories regarding the origins of agriculture are discussed. Agriculture probably had its origins in the Near East, not necessarily in Mesopotamia, but more likely in the semi-arid mountainous areas nearby. We are not certain what happened in other places. Only about 50 animals have been domesticated including the honey bee and the silk moth. The dog has been thought to be the first domesticated animal. Other animals discussed are sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, horses, pigs and chickens. Some New World domesticates such as the llama are briefly mentioned. The other chapters deal with plants. One chapter is devoted to the origin, hybridization and other development of the "grasses", wheat, rice, maize, and sorghum. Other chapters deal with sugar cane and beets, coconuts, sunflower and cotton, legumes and starchy staples. The chapter on legumes describes beans, peas, peanuts and soybeans, among others. Cultivated lentils and peas appear in the archaeological record in the Near East nearly as early as wheat and barley, the first two plants cultivated. In the Far East the soy-
330
bean was domesticated early. The starchy staples discussed include the potato, the sweet potato, yam, taro, manioc, the banana and breadfruit. A further chapter mentions fruits, nuts, beverages and spices. The final chapter gives a general overview of the world hunger problem. The author concludes that the solution to the food problem cannot be found in the oceans, algae or fungi, protein from leaves, or from any new crop. Since the great bulk of our diet for the foreseeable future will come from traditional sources, we should concentrate on improving the yields of these and other plants. Since it is unlikely that reduction of livestock will release more land to food production, we can stop growing non-essential plants such as tea, coffee and tobacco. This would, however, contribute to hunger by creating unemployment. Increased multiple cropping and intercropping could produce more food on the same land. This b o o k is a revision of an earlier edition. It includes some new ideas on the origins of agriculture and solution to hunger. It expands the coverage of plants and adds chapters on sugar and oil crops. It is seldom that a b o o k presents so much information in such a fluent and elegant style. It is therefore useful to the scholar and the educated layman. M.R. BISWAS (76 Woodstock Close Oxford OX2 6HP G t. Britain}
LIVESTOCK WASTE
Managing Livestock Wastes. James A. Merkel, Avi Publishers, Westport, CT, 1981, 375 pp. (approx.), U.S. $22.50 (U.S. and Canada), U.S. $24.50 (elsewhere), ISBN 0-87055-373-9. In the course of the last thirty years or so the number of farm animals produced intensively has risen steadily and created voluminous amounts of livestock wastes that have presented a threat to the quality of air and water supply. In order to cope with this threat new methods and techniques for handling, storing, treating and/or disposing of the wastes have been required. Agricultural engineers have responded to the situation b y contributing r e search programmes and developing techniques capable of solving many of the existing problems. A great deal of this information has been made available to researchers and producers through the use of a whole range of publications and fact-sheets. Engineering and other societies have organised international symposia and technical sessions and, in consequence, there is now a great deal of information available, some of which has been published in one form or another b u t the information is widely scattered and not easily found. The purpose of Professor Merkel's text is to provide, in a single publi-