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BOOK REVIEWS

PEPPERS. BOTANY, PRODUCTION AND USES. Russo Vincent M. (ed.). CAB In-
ternational, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK, 2012, pp. 280. ISBN 978-1-84593-767-6. 
€ 110.00.

The purpose of the book (which contains 19 chapters) is to provide a general description 
of the world of peppers. Even though difficulties exist with pepper taxonomy, the book pres-
ents a good introduction where all disputes are clearly elucidated and discussed. Botany and 
cultivation techniques are widely described and throughout the book several unanswered 
questions relating to the lack of information about peppers emerge, keeping up the reader’s 
interest. Some information can result a bit redundant in the chapters, which are written by 
different authors, but this offers the reader the opportunity to easily jump from one part to 
another. Moreover, all the chapters are clearly written and present a thorough bibliography, 
making the book suitable for both scientists and common devotees of peppers. The book can 
be used as a manual for cultivation, starting from a single plant to a massive production of 

peppers, with both biotic and abiotic stresses properly described. Particular attention is given to cultivation problems such 
as pests and weed control and for descriptions and reports, causes and effects of various types of diseases are also listed. 
Other common problems relating to peppers and analyzed in the book include irrigation, fertilization and soil composi-
tion, and economic and logistic problems regarding field and greenhouse production of plants. From the molecular side, 
the book is a good anthology of the majority of molecules involved in peppers and underlying their functions and physiol-
ogy. While a large part of the work is fully dedicated to field production, a brief chapter is dedicated to tissue culture of 
peppers despite their recalcitrant nature. Finally, germination and transplant techniques are illustrated, making this book 
complete and useful for a wide audience.

Diego Comparini

STOLO. BIBLIOGRAPHISCHE FINDMITELL ZUR GARTENKULTUR. BAND I. 
ITALIEN. STRUMENTO BIBLIOGRAFICO SULLA CULTURA DEI GIARDINI. 
VOLUME 1. ITALIA. (Bibliographic tools for the culture of gardens. Volume 1. Italy) 
Schneider U., and G. Gröning. Wernersche Verlgasgesellschaft mbH, Worms, Ger-
many, 2009. pp. 576. ISBN 978-3-88462-248-3

This volume, dedicated to Italy, is the first of nine in the series STOLO on the history 
and cultural theory of gardens and related topics in the center-west of Europe. Each vol-
ume treats a single country and can be consulted individually, as the material presented 
pertains to the subject country. At the same time, the ample literature reported opens up 
international connections, presenting to the reader the geographic impact and extension 
of the treated topic. 

The work required to compile the bibliographic material was carried out between 2004 
and 2007, and required numerous trips to public and private libraries. 

In its complex, this work by Stolo is a notable tool  to access the history of gardens in 
various European countries, and it is presented in a way that is easy-to-use and in-depth.

This particular work on Italy is divided into eight chapters: Sull’importanza sistematica 
delle conclusioni letterarie nella cultura dei giardini. (The systematic importance of literary conclusions in terms of 
garden culture) 2. Strumenti bibliografici generali e documentazione letteraria. (General bibliographic tools and literary 
documentation) 3. Bibliografie specifiche e strumenti bibliografici sulla cultura dei giardini e materie affini. (Specific 
bibliographies and bibliographic tools regarding the culture of gardens and related topics) 4. Manuali e opere generali 
sulla cultura dei giardini come contributi e temi speciali. (Manuals and general works on the culture of gardens as con-
tributions and special themes) 5. Materiale primario. (Primary material) 6. Periodici e collane (Periodicals and series) 7. 
Ricerca in internet. (Internet research) 8. Organizzazioni, federazioni, associazioni, biblioteche nella cultura dei giardini. 
(Organizations, federations, associations and libraries for the culture of gardens). 

  Enrico Rinaldelli