A PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISE OF HUSBANDRY AND GARDENING: Being A New Method of Cultivating and Increasing all sorts of Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers. A Very Curious Work: Containing many Useful Secrets in Nature, for helping the Vegetation of Trees and Plants, and for fertilizing the most Stubborn Soils... Translated from The High-Dutch, with Remarks: and Adorned with Cuts. The whole Revised and Compared with the Original, together with a Preface, confirming this New Method, By RICHARD BRADLEY.
London: P. Vaillant, and W. Mears and F. Clay, 1721. First English edition, translated, with additions, by Richard Bradley. "This was the first treatise on cuttings and graftings, and it made Agricola famous." (Hunt 452). Georg Andreas Agricola was a German doctor from Regensburg whose discoveries regarding plant propagation aroused significant interest at the beginning of the eighteenth century. In a book entitled NEU- UND NIE ERHÖRTER DOCH IN DER NATUR UND VERNUNFFT WOHLGEGEGRÜNDETER VERSUCH DER UNIVERSAL VERMEHRUNG ALLER BÄUME, STAUDEN UND BLUMEN-GEWÄCHSE (1716-1717) he first published details of his methods, including the use of a plaster he called "vegetable mummy," to refute exaggerated claims made about his discoveries by another writer. Bradley prepared this English translation and added to it his own preface as well as a translation of the preface from the French edition. The text is illustrated with copies of the plates from the original German edition. These plates depict examples of the regenerative process described by Agricola along with the grafting techniques, tools and structures employed in the various operations. In publishing Agricola's discoveries in England Bradley was doing what he seemed to do best: publicizing the latest horticultural advances and theories at a moment close to their inception. Hunt 452; Henrey 411 Royal 4to (27 x 22 cm); (xxiv) + 300 + (iv) pp. + 22 plates (some folding) with 34 engravings.
Original full calf, blind-stamped on upper and lower covers, with raised bands and gilt ruling on spine; lettering to spine faded; outer hinges partially split and spine ends worn; two old small library stamps on edges of title page.
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