HORTUS VEITCHII : A HISTORY OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE NURSERIES OF MESSRS. JAMES VEITCH AND SONS, TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE BOTANICAL COLLECTORS AND HYBRIDISTS EMPLOYED BY THEM AND A LIST OF THE MOST REMARKABLE OF THEIR INTRODUCTIONS / BY JAMES H. VEITCH.

First Edition. Hardback. Large 8vo. pp 542. 20 by 29 by 7 cms. Top edge gilt, others uncut .Limited edition for private circulation only, appears to be a LARGE PAPER copy, 50 plates, Highly attractive mainly sepia botanical photos with tissue guards, occasional very slight unobjectioble foxing. Loosely inserted is a compliment slip printed gilt 'Messrs Veich's .very respectful compliments' and in faded red ink it seems to read Jonathan Symons April 1906. The Arpad Pleasch copy with his small gilt lettered red leather book label at front pastedown reading 'Ex Libris Arpad Plesch' with sun motif + his sun stamp at prelims. Árpád Plesch (1889–1974) was a Hungarian financier, banker, and lawyer. He owned a celebrated collection of rare botanical books for his foundation Stifung der Botanik he also collected esoteric pornography. Verso of title page reads: 'This special edition has been printed for Private Circulation only.' The frontis is an old print of 'the original nursery at Chelsea.' From Goodreads: 'The following pages contain a record of continuous work for over three-quarters of a century in the field of Horticulture by one family, - work which justly may be claimed to have permanently benefited every garden. The good fortune to usually find the right assistants for both home and foreign service, and the signal loyalty and capability of those selected, largely contributed to success, and the names of several are well known to all with any knowledge of plants. To the representatives seeking unknown plants at one period or another in almost every clime, fortune has not invariably been kind, but the work of such men as Thomas Lobb, William Lobb, the late John Gould Veitch, Charles Maries and E. H. Wilson, has been a gain in every way; Whilst the efforts in hybridizing and selecting of John Dominy, John Seden, and John Heal, have given a wider interest to all cultivators.' Half dark brown/ maroon leather marbled boards lettered gilt at the spine . Likely to be the original binding fro Veitch.Slight fading at spine, a little scuffing at spine, occasional very slight foxing (mostly to tissue guards). Sound clean very good. …