WESTON, Richard.

Tracts on Practical Agriculture and Gardening. Particularly addressed to the Gentlemen-Farmers in Great-Britain. With several useful Improvements in Stoves and Green-Houses. To which is added, a Chronological Catalogue of English Authors on Agriculture, Botany, Gardening, &c.

One engraved plate. iv, xxxi, 298, [2], 136 pp. 8vo, cont. half-calf & marbled boards, flat spine gilt. London: S. Hooper, 1773.

"The second edition, greatly improved" (1st ed., published anonymously: 1769); this is an important and useful work. The final 136 pages contain the first English agricultural bibliography, enlarged from the first edition, in which the author lists and, oftentimes, annotates about 1500 titles. It is arranged chronologically and there is an excellent index at end.

"Richard Weston (1733-1806) appears to have had an excellent knowledge of nursery gardening and nurserymen's sale catalogues. He was interested in agriculture and all forms of horticulture, and he also made a study of horticultural and botanical literature...Weston's first important published work appeared in 1769 anonymously. This was his Tracts on practical agriculture and gardening...At the end of this volume, and in subsequent editions of the work, is a very useful 'Catalogue of English authors...on husbandry, gardening, botany, and subjects relative thereto'."­Henrey, II, p. 396 & no. 1490 in the bibliography.

Fine copy with the signature of W.A. Provis on title.

D.N.B., XX, pp. 1280-81. Fussell, Old English Farming Books 1731-1793, pp. 85-89. Perkins Cat. 1893.

Price: $2,250.00

Item ID: 637