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Switzer, Stephen (1682?–1745).
The Practical Kitchen Gardiner: Or, a New and Entire System of Directions For his Employment in the Melonry, Kitchen-Garden, and Potagery, In the Several Seasons of the Year. Being chiefly the Observations of a Person train’d u in the Neat-Houses or Kitchen-Gardens about London. Illustrated with Plans and Descriptions proper for the Situation and Disposition of those Gardens. To which is added, by way of Supplement, the Method of Raising Cucumbers and Melons, Mushrooms, Borecole, Broccoli, Potatoes, and other curious and useful Plants, as practised in France, Italy, Holland and Ireland. And also, An Account of the Labours and Profits of a Kitchen-Garden, and what every Genteman may reasonably expect therefrom in every Month of the Year. In a Method never yet attempted.
Publisher: Printed for Tho. Woodward, at the Half-Moon over-against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleetstreet, London;
Date of Publication: 1727
Stock Code: 14543
First Edition. Octavo, pp., [16], xx, [12], 424, [8] of index, [1] publisher’s advertisement, plus 3 folding plans, as called for. Brown morocco arts-and-crafts binding; intersecting rules in blind to boards, titled in gilt to spine, top edge dyed burgundy. In brown cloth and paper slipcase. Top edge of slipcase faded. Spine a little sunned, corners slightly rubbed. Slight nicks to edge of plates, minor water staining to third plate, mostly affecting verso. A very good copy. A germinal work by one of the early exponents of landscape gardening. Switzer was trained as a gardener by George London and Henry Wise at Brompton Park, the leading nursery of the period. He aided in executing the gardens at Blenheim, Howard Castle, Circenster Park, and Grimsthorpe Castle. Switzer’s true influence was through his authoritative and influential studies of gardening. This volume, the third of Switzer’s works, instructs the reader in the creation of a beautiful and useful garden. Integrating new techniques such as hot-houses, Switzer describes methods by which English gardeners could raise plants from across the colonial frontier such as melons, kidney beans, and cucumbers. One of the great works of eighteenth-century horticultural writing. £750.00