Man Own Gardener Compete Being by Mawe Thomas Abercrombie John (2 results)

hardback, 8vo, (vi),720pp, frontispiece, owner's name on endpaper, edges browning, light foxing on frontis, text clean and sound, blindstamped green cloth, front hinge broning, front board detached, spine frayed, Fair condition.

8vo [18 x 11.5 cm]; [iv], 616, [xix, index] pp, engraved frontispiece, index. leather backed marbled boards, gilt title lettering on red leather spine label, gilt ruled, raised bands, joints a little rubbed, light stain on few leaves but a near fine, clean copy. Cleveland Herbal and Horticultural Collection 734 (whose copy lacks a leaf). Henrey 1062: 'The preface of the edition of 1787 and also the preface to most later editions is signed by the real author or only author of the book, John Abercrombie'. Includes all aspects of gardening in considerable detail, with extensive lists of plants arranged in categories (annuals, kitchen garden, hot house, flowering plants, fruit trees, etc.) It was the standard reference of the time. "Among eighteenth-century British nurserymen who became writers on practical gardening one of the most successful was John Abercrombie." (Henrey) It was first published in 1767 in about half the size of this edition. Mawe, a gardener to the Duke of Leeds, did not contribute, but his name was added because of his fame at the time. This was an important gardening handbook of the time covering all aspects including greenhouse, hot-house, fruit growing, flowers, kitchen garden, etc. This edition has the added chapter Systematic Catalogue of Hot-House Plants, not in earlier editions. The work lists thousands of species of trees, plants, flowers by type. A picture of this book is available on request.