FOUNDATIONAL 18TH CENTURY BOTANICAL SCIENCE

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.
A cornerstone of early 18th-century horticultural literature, this volume represents Richard Bradley's pioneering effort to treat gardening and agriculture as rigorous sciences rather than mere trades. 

Comprising the first three parts of 'New Improvements' (including first editions of volumes II and III) and the 'Kalendar', the work explores the motion of sap and plant generation, marking a significant shift toward botanical philosophy. This copy features the 'New Invention' for garden design and is adorned with numerous copper plates.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Total of 12 copper-engraved plates (inclusive of both works), including several folding plates depicting greenhouse designs and botanical structures. 
+++ Binding: Contemporary calf, gilt-ruled; professionally rebacked with spine titled in gilt. Housed in a modern brown cloth slipcase. 
+++ Content: Comprehensive technical guides on forest trees, kitchen gardens, and the 'New Invention' for parterre design. Includes the third edition of the 'Kalendar' (1720). 
+++ Specs: Octavo; 7 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches; complex pagination. 
+++ Provenance: Older ownership signature on front paste-down with manuscript notations on front endpapers. 
+++ Manuscript: Occasional contemporary manuscript annotations throughout the text.

CONDITION
+++ Overall Grade: Good / Sophisticated. The bindings are tight and square following a professional rebacking that reinforced the hinges. The contemporary calf boards show expected wear, rubbing to the corners, and a pulled top spine band. Internally, the text block exhibits light to moderate toning and spotting consistent with early 18th-century paper. Occasional edge tears, dog-ears, and evidence of historic dampstaining are present, but the text remains entirely legible and the folding plates are structurally sound. The modern slipcase is fine.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Scholarship: Bradley was the first Professor of Botany at Cambridge; this work is a primary record of his efforts to introduce the 'motion of the sapp' and sexual generation of plants to a general audience.
+++ Historical Impact: Represents the transition from traditional 'almanac' gardening to scientific horticulture, utilizing the 'Philosophical' approach championed by the Royal Society.
+++ Design: Features Bradley's 'New Invention'—an early mirrored device (a precursor to the kaleidoscope) used to generate infinite geometric designs for garden parterres.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Richard Bradley (1688–1732) was a prolific English botanist and the first to treat gardening as a science. Despite a controversial tenure at Cambridge, his influence on the development of British horticulture was immense. He was a pioneer in studying plant productivity and was among the first to describe the role of insects in pollination.

This specific assembly of 'New Improvements' and the 'Kalendar' is the definitive contemporary reference for the period. As noted by bibliographer Blanche Henrey, these works were frequently bound together by owners to create a comprehensive horticultural manual. The inclusion of the 'Kalendar' provided the practical monthly instruction to balance Bradley’s 'Philosophical' theories.

The work is a landmark in the history of the English landscape. It arrived at the precise moment when the formal gardens of the late 17th century were evolving into the more complex botanical collections of the 18th century. It remains a vital primary source for the study of the history of science and the evolution of the British garden.

SUBJECTS: Richard Bradley, Botany, 18th Century Gardening, Horticulture, Royal Society, Landscape Design, History of Science, British Literature, Science & Technology, Pre-1800 Imprint.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Henrey 488; ESTC T39873; ESTC T40723; Hunt 447 (for related editions).

Item #21973

Price: $425.00