Bradley, Richard (1688-1732)

New Improvements of Planting and Gardening, Both Philosophical and Practical. [Bound with:] The Gentleman and Gardner's Kalendar...

London: W. Mears, 1718. Full leather in a slipcase. New Improvements of Planting and Gardening, Both Philosophical and Practical. London: W. Mears, 1718, 1717, 1718.
Three volumes bound in one, second edition of volume I, first editions of volumes II and III. Pp.184, 192 misnumbered 684, 202;
Volume I: [16], 70, [2] pp., with 1 engraved plate;
Volume II: [16], 136 pp., with 1 engraved plates and 2 folding engraved plates;
Volume III: [12], 290, [2] pp., with 3 folding engraved plates;

The Gentleman and Gardner's Kalendar...
London: W. Mears, 1720. Third edition.  xv, [1], 124, [4] pp., with 1 engraved plate and 3 folding engraved plates. Followed by 4-page publisher’s advert.

Ref: Henrey 488 “New Improvements and the Kalendar were often found bound together as such”; ESTC number: T39873; Kalendar; T40723.

Contemporary calf, gilt ruled, rebacked, spine titled in gilt. 8vo; 7 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches (19.25 x 12 cm); Wear to boards and rebacked spine, top spine band pulled; corners bumped and rubbed, hinges reinforced, text with toning, spotting, and occasional edge tears, dog ears, dampstaining and manuscript annotations. Older ownership on front paste-down, notations on front endpages. Title page in red. Modern brown cloth slipcase.

Fair in a Fine Slipcase. Item #16498

Full Title: New improvements of planting and gardening, both philosophical and practical; explaining the motion of the sapp and generation of plants. With other Discoveries never before made Publick, for the Improvement of Forest-Trees, Flower-Gardens or Parterres; with a New Invention whereby more Designs of Garden Plates may be made in an Hour, than can be found in all the Books now extant. Likewise several rare Secrets for the Improvement of Fruit-Trees, Kitchen-Gardens, and Green House Plants. Adorn’d with Copper Plates. The third and last part. By Richard Bradley, Fellow of the Royal Society

Background Information:
Bradley an English botanist and gardener was one of the most voluminous writers upon agriculture and gardening. Johnson, author of History of Gardening (1829), states that Bradley was "one of the first to treat gardening and agriculture as sciences."

His name was attached to more than 20 publications between 1716 and 1730. His works show a well-informed and comprehensive mind. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1724 was elected Professor of Botany at Cambridge. However, he was considered unfitted for the office due to his ignorance of foreign languages and other reasons.

His work ran through many editions and although the contents were culled from earlier writers, they indicated the trends of the times in agriculture and horticulture.  [Ohio State/Plant Facts]

Price: $395.00