REID, John.   THE SCOTS GARD'NER   In Two Parts. The First Of Contriving and Planting Gardens, Orchards, Avenues and Groves....The Second, Of The Propagation and Improvement of Forrest and Fruit-trees, Kitchen-Herbs, Roots and Fruits: With Some Physick-Herbs, Shrubs and Flowers...       Edinburgh:   1721.          Second, enlarged edition. "We salute John Reid as the first and probably one of the most endearing of all Scottish gardeners ever to put pen to paper."(HUNT BOTANICAL CATALOGUE, Volume I, p. 388). His book was also the first to be addressed specifically to gardeners in Scotland, and it covers its subject comprehensively. In the first part he begins with design principles and provides directions for laying out and measuring avenues, walks, thickets, orchards, as well as instructions for making the kitchen and pleasure gardens ("Of Boxing for all Gardens"). Part two of the principle work is devoted to plant cultivation and includes an appendix on culinary use of the fruits of the garden. This is followed by THE GARD'NERS KALENDAR corrected, with large additions for this edition, with its own title page. The text concludes with a separate anonymous work entitled THE FLORIST'S VADE-MECUM which is not present in the first edition of 1683. Its subject is the raising of "the rarest flowers and plants." Reid was gardener to Sir George MacKenzie at Rosehaugh.   8vo (18.4 x 10.2 cm) (x) + 124 (i.e. 214), [pp.193 and 214 misnumbered] + (ii) + 54 + 24 pp., with printer's ornaments at each chapter, title page decoratively bordered + 4 engraved plates (printed 2 to a folding sheet) + frontispiece for the FLORIST'S VADE-MECUM.   HUNT 368 (first edition of 1683); HENREY 329.          Contemporary calf or sheep with gilt ruled spine and red leather lettering piece, old scuff marks and a dab of paint, but well oiled and preserved; numerous old penned notations to endpapers, mostly names and dates; text and plates with scattered old faded stains and ink spots; paper browned; old damp stain along upper margin and into gutter for the first 7 pages; some wrinkling of pages at lower corners; a well used but carefully preserved copy. $950.00

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