One folding engraved plate. xxxii, 116 pp. 8vo, cont. red morocco-backed paste-paper boards, flat spine nicely gilt. Paris: Patris, 1810.

First edition. One of the great achievements of the 19th century in respect to food was the successful development of canning. The pioneer in this field was the Frenchman, Nicolas Appert (1750-1841).

In Appert’s process the foodstuff was placed in clean bottles, well corked, and subsequently the bottles were raised to the boiling-point of water. In this way the most perishable material could be kept unchanged for a long time. With this method Appert demonstrated practically the process of pasteurization, nearly fifty... More

One folding engraved plate. 12 p.l., 577, [27] pp. 8vo, cont. half-vellum & paste-paper boards. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck, 1787.

Third edition, greatly enlarged and improved (1st ed.: 1777) of the first textbook of technology, a term created by its author. Beckmann (1739-1811), taught at the University of Göttingen, where an ordinary professorship of economic sciences was established for him in 1770. He lectured on mineralogy, agriculture, technology, materials science, commerce, and general public administration.

The present book “is noteworthy for its systematic approach to the various vocations and for its descriptions of a number of trades.”–D.S.B., I, p. 554. Beckmann describes in great detail the... More

Numerous woodcuts in the text. 28 unnumbered leaves (incl. the first leaf, a blank). Small 4to, early 20th-cent. calf (final leaf with short tear in blank section, carefully repaired). London: W. Stansby for J. Grismand, 1626.

A very rare book that describes the English bread-pricing regulations established in 1266, which remained in force, with modifications, for more than six centuries. As Britain’s early modern economy developed and the price of wheat fluctuated, these regulations were periodically revised and reissued by authority of the Privy Council. ESTC locates only one copy of our edition in North America.

“Bread was one of the basic nutritional elements of the medieval diet and its supply and price were of the utmost concern to local authorities. Consequently, well-defined laws were laid down to control the manufacture and sale of bread: to judge the weight, quality, and price, and also to ensure an open and constant supply. The most significant and long-lasting commercial law in medieval England was the assize of bread, which was entered into statute law sometime [1266] in the thirteenth century… More

One hand-colored engraved plate. xix, 51 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards (some foxing), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: C. Dilly & J. Phillips, 1787.

“Second edition” (but see below) of this translation of Commerell’s work on the mangel wurzel, an uncommon beet developed in the 18th century as a fodder crop for livestock and, when harvested young, an excellent source of nutrition for humans. Commerell (d. 1799), chaplain to the Princess of Lowenstein in the German Lorraine and a member of the Société d’Agriculture de Paris, was interested in husbandry and wrote a monograph in French on... More

Engraved vignette on title & three folding engraved plates. 252 pp. 8vo, cont. half-vellum & boards (boards slightly soiled, two very small wormholes to title touching three letters), spine gilt, green leather lettering piece on spine, uncut. Vicenza: nella Stamperia Turra, 1784.

First edition of this uncommon book on wheat, corn, and other cereals. Harasti, a member of the Hungarian noble Haraszthy family of Buda, was a Franciscan friar who wrote many books on agriculture. He belonged to several scientific and agricultural societies in Italy, and this work was awarded a prize by the Accademia Agraria di Vicenza in 1783.

In this work, Harasti provides a complete account of wheat, corn, and other cereals suitable for growing in Italy, methods of planting and cultivation, techniques to prevent diseases from affecting the crops, when and how to harvest, and methods of preventing the harvested grains from being contaminated by fungi and rodents while in storage. There are extensive discussions of the different species of the cereals and which are the most appropriate for different regions of Italy. More

Full-page woodcut armorial device on verso of title, one woodcut in the text, & woodcut initials & decorations. Largely printed in black letter. 11 p.l. (several preliminary leaves misbound at end), 193, [1] leaves. Small 4to, cont. limp vellum (wrinkled & somewhat soiled, minor & mostly marginal worming to misbound leaves, minor dampstaining), ties gone. London: Printed by R. Watkins, 1577.

First edition in English, translated by Barnabe Googe (1540-94). This work, first published in Latin in Cologne in 1570, was extremely popular. Written in the form of a dialogue, the book takes an imaginary visitor through the countryman’s house, and shows him his farm, stables, garden... More

Eight full-page woodcuts & two large woodcuts in the text. 24 leaves. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers (covers somewhat worn & wormed), new stitching. Edo & Osaka: Yuki Jirobei et al., 1774.

Second edition, revised (1st ed.: 1748), of this uncommon work on medicinal plant roots found in Japan, China, and Korea, their cultivation, and health benefits. This work consists of three sections and two addenda, written by Kensai Kato (1669-1724), and revised by his son Genjun (1699-1785). Both were medical doctors.

Kensai wrote this book to explain and simplify the teachings on medicinal roots of his mentor, Jakusui Ino (1665-1715), physician and botanist. Ino studied Chinese... More

23 silk-screened images of potatoes hand-tinted & tipped-in. 14 unnumbered leaves. Folio (430 x 310 mm.), orig. pink paper wrappers & yellow band with watercolored title, stitched. London: The Everyday Press, 2018.

A charming illustrated recipe book by the chef Jeremy Lee and British artist Simon Popper; produced in an edition of 75. Recipes include: pommes sarladaises, potato soup, Cullen skink, champ, and “Janson’s Temptation.” The silk-screened potato images were copied from 19th-century engravings of potatoes. Printed by Lesley Sharp.

As new. More

19 full-page & one double-page woodcuts. 25; 39; 25; 24 folding leaves (pagination continuous for the sections on tea). Four vols. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers with bright orange endpapers, new stitching. [China: Ming dynasty, ca. 1573-1620].

A rare enlarged edition of this important collection of Chinese gastronomic classics, dealing with tea, various alcohols, crabs, and vegetables.

The first volume and the first part of the second volume contains the Cha jing by Yu Lu in ten chapters and edited by Shixian Wang (active 16th-17th century), who also wrote on botany. “The first great work on tea, and the basis for most of our knowledge concerning its... More

[Japan: early mid-Edo].

The theme of the four seasons of rice cultivation has had an extensive presence within Japanese art and literature. These two luxury festive scrolls beautifully depict the year-long cycle of rice growing in Japan, along with the ancillary activities that took place during the year in the countryside, including falconry, growing vegetables and fruits, seasonal festivals, ways of relaxation, and the annual tribute of rice to the fiefdom lord. The activities shown on these scrolls have much in common with Brueghel paintings, and vividly depict country life.

We learn from the labels and handwriting on the original box protecting these two scrolls that they were once owned by two prominent women, members of the famous Nabeshima family. The first owner was Teiju in (1699-1752), wife of Muneshige Nabeshima (1687-1755), fifth lord of the Hizen Kashima han (Hizen Kashima fiefdom). The later owner was Tokusei in (or Kashioka, 1798-1877), widow of Naonori Nabeshima (1793-1826), ninth lord of the same fiefdom. Tokusei in was particularly interested in the development of agriculture of the fiefdom and invented the form of brocading known as Saga nishiki. An educated woman, she was also a book collector, and her library is now kept intact in the Yutoku Inari Shrine in Kashima City in Saga Prefecture. Written on one of the old labels on the box is: “Shiki no kosaku” (“Rice Cultivation through the Four Seasons”). More

One folding handcolored engraved plate & six folding printed tables on four sheets. xvi, 418 pp. 8vo, cont. tree calf (minor foxing), flat spine nicely gilt (minor defect at foot of spine), red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: Poulet, 1814.

First edition in French (1st ed.: Madrid, 1807), large paper copy, of this uncommon work on the grapes cultivated in Andalucia. Rojas (1777-1827), librarian of the royal botanical garden of Madrid, describes the grapes’ characteristics, tastes, and uses as a commercial crop for eating and for making wine. He describes more than 120 varieties, providing details on their various local names, qualities... More

Numerous woodcut illus. in the text. Largely printed in black letter. 7 p.l. (first leaf blank except for signature mark), 63, [1] pp. Small 4to, early 20th cent. polished mottled calf by Riviere, triple gilt fillet round sides, spine richly gilt, red morocco lettering pieces on spine, dentelles gilt, a.e.g. London: H. Denham, 1576.

Second edition, “nowe newly corrected and augmented,” of the first English book on hops. The first edition appeared two years earlier; both editions are very rare. This is “an eminently practical treatise, illustrating the various methods of setting the roots, making the hills and ramming the poles... More