A PLAIN AND EASY INTRODUCTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF GARDENING, WITH HINTS ON FISH-PONDS

(GARDENING). MARSHALL, CHARLES

Published by F. and C. Rivington, London, 1800

About this Item

185 x 107 mm. (7 1/4 x 4 1/4"). xii, 408 pp. Leaf A4 mis-bound before A3. Retrospective modern green quarter calf over marbled boards, flat spine with blind-ruled compartments with gilt tooled flowers, red morocco label with gilt lettering. Front pastedown with bookplate of "Elizabeth P. McLean, Garden Historian"; early ink ownership inscriptions of Roderick McHenry and R. Broder on front free endpaper and title, respectively; title page with contemporaneous signature of R. Procter. ?One page with small losses to 14 lines of text because of printing flaw, another with a corrosive spill (a gardening chemical?) minimally affecting text, minor foxing and browning, but, all and all, a pleasing copy--much cleaner than expected for this kind of book, and in a sympathetic binding with virtually no wear. Written by Charles Marshall (d. 1818), amateur gardener and vicar of Brixworth in Northamptonshire, this is a thorough, fascinating guide to the garden as seen through late 18th century eyes, including descriptions of the uses and consumption of many vegetables and herbs as well as the aesthetic and technical concerns of the gardener. The work includes guides to the propagation and care of a wide variety of plants--from herbs, fruits, and vegetables (with a whole section on cucumbers and melons) to decorative trees and shrubs. It additionally includes a section on the management of fish in garden ponds, as well as an essay entitled "On the Profession of a Gardener" (which appeared in the first edition of this book but was removed from the second). Our volume has clearly been loved by more than one generation of gardeners; it bears the bookplate of Elizabeth McLean, a researcher in botany and its history at Drexel University, and will certainly remain a charming addition to the libraries of those who find gardening, in Marshall's words, "so favorite a pursuit.".

Seller Inventory # ST19567-122

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A PLAIN AND EASY INTRODUCTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF GARDENING, WITH HINTS ON FISH-PONDS
• Publisher: F. and C. Rivington, London
• Publication Date: 1800
• Edition: Third Edition.
• Seller catalogs:
  • Botany, Gardening, & Agriculture