CONVERSATIONS ON VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY; COMPREHENDING THE ELEMENTS OF BOTANY, WITH THEIR APPLICATION TO AGRICULTURE

12mo. Leather boards (7 3/8 in. x 5 in.), missing leather spine. Boards are scuffed and loose, but holding well. Small portion of detached contrasting gilt-on-black spine label, double ruled in gilt, laid inside. Advertising section at the beginning.Pages are a bit age-tanned, but generally bright, supple and easy to turn Six beautiful color lithographic plates by Margaret Clark Snow Pendleton of Boston. Plates: Clove Carnation; Narcissus; China Pink; Foxglove; Convolvolus; Sweet Pea. Also four black and white plates with legends at rear. Index following. 372 pp. Marcet employs a fascinating pedagogical method, framing these teaching "modules" into conversations -- . ". {framing] a scientific dialogue between two pupils, Caroline and Emily (or Emilie), and their teacher, Mrs. Bryant (Mrs. B). Caroline, the younger, asks flippant questions that still move the dialogue along, while Emily is more controlled and reflective. Mrs. Bryant is a maternal mentoring figure, who leads them to question and examine their ideas. Both the scientific content and the discursive process of sharing scientific knowledge were important to Marcet's readers.Mrs B's flippant pupil Caroline says she would have thought a woman could be excused ignorance of that topic. Mrs B replies tartly, "When you plead in favour of ignorance, there is a strong presumption that you are in the wrong.". (Wikipedia) Chapters include: Roots, Stems, Leaves, Sap, Cambium and the Peculiar Juices of Plants; On the Action of Light and Heat on Plants; On the Naturalsation of Plants; On the Action of the Atmosphere on Plants; On the Action of Water on Plants; On the Artifical Modes of Watering Plants; On the Action of Soil on Plants; The Action of Soil on Plants Continued; On the Multiplications of Plants by Subdivision; On Grafting; On the Multiplication of Plants by Seed -- The Flower; On Compound Flowers; On Fruit; On the Seed; On the Classification of Plants; on Artifical Systems of Classification of Plants; On the Natural Systems of Classification; On Botanical Geography; On the Influence of Culture on Vegetation; On the Degeneration and the Diseases of Plants; The Diseases of Plants Continued; On the Cultivation of Trees; On the Cultivation of Plants which Produce Fermented Liquors; On the Cultivation of Grasses, Tuberous Roots, and Grain; On Oleaginous Plants and Culinary Vegetables. Jane Marcet (1 January 1769 - 28 June 1858) was an . innovative writer of popular, explanatory science books .She produced expository books on chemistry, botany, religion and economics under the general title "Conversations". In her prefaces, Marcet addresses whether such knowledge is suitable for women, arguing against objections and stating that public opinion supports her view] The first was written in 1805, though not issued until 1819, as Conversations on Natural Philosophy. It covered the basics of scientific knowledge of the time: physics, mechanics, astronomy, the properties of fluids, air and optics. By writing in discursive English, she made scientific knowledge accessible not only to women, but to men not trained in the fundamental languages of a classical education, Latin and Greek. While her original intent was to educate women, she reached a broader audience in line with enlightenment ideals, and laid claim to the natural sciences as a public endeavour.Her works remained standard textbooks for several decades. .One of those who read her work was Michael Faraday, born in 1791, who would become one of the world's greatest scientists, revolutionizing physics and chemistry. He was impressed by her work on chemistry, which helped him to find a new calling for science. He later claimed it had played a vital role in his own career as a chemist.".…