Lawrence [Laurence], John

The Clergy-Man's Recreation: Shewing the Pleasure and Profit of the Art of Gardening. [with:] The Gentleman's Recreation : or the Second Part of the Art of Gardening Improved. Containing Several New Experiments and Curious Observations relating to Fruit Trees: Particularly a New Method of Building Walls with Horizontal Shelters.

London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, between the Temple Gates in Fleet Street, 1717.

Two works bound as one. Octavo, 84 & [19], 115, [1] pages. Fifth and Second editions, respectively. The "first original eighteenth century English treatise on gardening" [Henrey, p. 415], together with its companion, The Gentleman's Recreation. In 1718, following the printing of this volume, a third work was added, The Fruit-garden Kalendar... in order to make his "two former treatises of gardening compleat, and if possible more intelligible." [from the preface of The Fruit-garden Kalendar]. The works are devoted almost entirely to fruit culture, and contains one of the earliest published records of transmission of a virus by grafting. The second volume work contains an 11 page appendix, written by the author's brother, Edward Laurence, outlining a method for finding a Meridian Line, and an advertisement for a forthcoming book titled Timber, Measured and Valued. A few small wormholes to the bottom margin of a signature or two of the second work. Folding plate number one with a closed tear along the fold. Otherwise generally very good internally. In full brown, blind-tooled calf, with raised bands, and a now illegible paper label. Hinges cracked externally, but holding. Overall, good or better. With the bookplate, and ownership signature to the title page of Mr. Edward Stratford, Armorer and Earl of Aldborough. [Henrey 937, 943; Fussell, Old English Farming Books page 101].

Price: $1,000.00