A Manual of Orchidaceous Plants Cultivated Under Glass in the British Isles (Two volumes) by Veitch, James H

Jena: Gustav Fischer [1904 - 1941]. Vegetationsbilder. Series 1 - Series 26 part 4, [lacking Series 8 part 8, Series 12 parts 5 + 6, Series 13 parts 1 - 4]. Each Series comprises 8 parts. Series 1 - 4 are bound in rather worn cloth-backed boards, the rest are in parts, loose in paper covers as issued, (many covers are worn or detached, but contents throughout are good). Very heavy - extra postage will be required. [An amazing work: a series of fine photographic plates - collotypes, I think - with accompanying text. Each part is complete in itself; and whilst some are thematic - tropical nut-trees, Mexican cacti and succulents, Amazonian epiphytes, Californian conifers etc - the great majority of the work is phytogeographical, with fine portraits of plants and vegetation of a large range of countries - Western Lapland, Northwest Argentina, Socotra, Togo, Southwest Alaska, Arizona, Samoa, Juan Fernandez, Mesopotamia, Kurdestan, Uruguay, Central China, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica and… Read More

Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii, 1764. Title page printed in red and black, pp xx, 580, [42], + 1 leaf of errata & emendada, a little general age-toning of the pages but remarkably clean and sound internally, marbled endpapers, contemporary speckled calf, lined in gilt, dentelles in gilt, a litlte worn ( mainly at the corners), spine ornate gilt with raised bands, rubbed and a bit more worn, black leather title label lacking a corner, joints cracking but still holding well. With the large folding portrait, a bit creased, which Soulsby mentions is only found in some copies. [Soulsby 305.]. Full-Leather. Good.

London: George Sawbridge, 1668. 1668. Illustrated with six plates plus woodcut illustrations within the text, small octavo, pp (ii), 102, some browning and thumbing throughout with general signs of use, the occasional very early small manuscript note, the last two pages with slight wear to the margins and minor neat paper repairs, early manuscript figures and small scribbles on the blank surface of the final page. Lacking a large corner of pages 65/66, and replaced with a paper repair; the text has been copied in manuscript, and the missing portion of the maze parterre has been very carefully copied and is barely noticeable apart from the different paper colour (see images). Neatly bound in a fairly modern full calf, small raised bands and red morocco label. [When first published in 1617/1618 this was the first gardening book intended for the conditions of the North of England, and the Country Housewife's Garden the first English gardening book for women.]. Full-Leather. Good.

London: S. Hooper, 25 Ludgate-Hill, 1773. Second edition, greatly improved. Illustrated with one plate (foxed), octavo, pp xxxii, 298, (2), 136, slight age-toning and blemishes, heavier spotting and foxing between pages 77 and 98, (possibly caused by the different paper of the plate ?), otherwise very sound and tight, contemporary half calf and marbled boards, rubbed and slightly worn, rebacked at some point with the old spine laid down, the spine now slightly worn at head and foot. With armorial bookplate of Peter Clutterbuck, and a slightly odd offset on the facing blank. RARE. [Weston was originally a thread-hosier of Leicester, but in some of his anonymous works describes himself as "a country gentleman". In 1773, he was living at Kensington Gore, but later was living at Leicester where he was secretary of the local agricultural society. From the number of his published works, it is evident he had a very wide knowledge of plants and plant literature. Blanche Henrey 1490 - "Richard… Read More