OBSERVATIONS ON LAYING OUT FARMS IN THE SCOTCH STYLE, ADAPTED TO ENGLAND. Comprising an account of the introduction of the Berwickshire Husbandry into Middlesex and Oxfordshire.

London, John Harding, 1812.. FIRST EDITION 1812. Large 4to, approximately 385 x 280 mm, 15 x 11 inches, printed on good heavy stock, 38 engraved plates (title page calls for 40 plates, there is a publisher's note on this discrepancy at the end of the plate list), 10 tissue guarded hand coloured aquatints, including frontispiece, panorama with 3 images and 1 plate with 2 images, making a total of 13 images, 3 are large folding plates, plus 1 large folding in black and white, pages: [6] 9-16, 19-60, 59-105, collation: A-G5, H-M4 (1) including half-title, pagination slightly erratic but complete, pages 59 and 60 are duplicated but there is no duplication of text. Handsomely rebound in half dark blue crushed morocco, matching cloth covers divided by gilt decoration, contrasting gilt lettered labels to spine, gilt date at foot, gilt decoration and urns between raised bands, edges untrimmed, housed in a plain blue cloth slipcase. The folding plates each have a small tear on central fold, all repairedon the blank side to strengthen with binder's tape including the panorama plate, not affecting images (see attached images), 2 small repairs to edges, not affecting images, 2 further small tears to folds, not repaired, the large folding black and white plate has small central repair to fold on the blank side and the image side, not affecting the images, pinhole worm track from page 50 to the end, hardly noticeable, small worm track affecting 2 plates, 1 in colour, on the colour plate the track just runs into the sky (see image named "Scone"), both neatly repaired on the blank side, 1 colour plate has 2 small darker blue spots in the sky, tissue guards foxed, that on frontispiece loose, 1 with a small worm track, 1 page has small hole to blank margin (paper fault), 1 margin has 2 neat small closed tears repaired, margin of 1 black and white plate has small closed tear neatly repaired, 13 black and white plates have pale age-browning, some margins on the colour plates have pale age-browning, not affecting images, page edges a little dusty with occasional tiny nicks and a tiny ink spot just affecting several edges. A repaired copy but still a good plus copy. See Mary Aslin, Catalogue of the Printed books on Agriculture published between 1471 and 1840, page 80; Forum Auctions, The Rothamsted Collection, page 252, No.766; The Kress Library of Business and Economics, Volume 2, page 304, B. 6011. Not in Abbey or Tooley. John Claudius Loudon (1783 – 1843) was a Scottish botanist, garden and cemetery designer, author and garden magazine editor. This work is based on Loudon's experiments at Tew Park in Oxfordshire which he rented in 1809 and set up as an agricultural school. Despite significant success financially, he abruptly disbanded the school in 1811 and left for a tour of the Continent (returning in 1814), leaving his publishers to produce the book. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.