SPEECHLY, William.
A treatise on the culture of the vine, exhibiting new and advantageous methods of propagating, cultivating, and training that plant, so as to render it abundantly fruitful. Together with new hints on the formation of vineyards in England.
York, for the author, 1790. 2 works in 1 volume. Large 4to. With 5 engraved plates (3 folding) with views and other illustrations, including figures showing greenhouse buildings and heating devices on the 3 folding plates.
With: FORSYTH, William. A treatise on the culture and management of fruit-trees; in which a new method of pruning and training is fully described. To which is added, a new and improved edition of "Observations on the diseases, defects, and injuries, in all kinds of fruit and forest trees", with an account of a particular method of cure, published by order of government.
London, John Nichols and son for T. N. Longman & O. Rees [and 3 others], 1802. With illustrations of trees, the pruning of trees, and pruning tools on 13 folding engraved plates.Contemporary half light brown blind-tooled morocco. [4], 224; VIII, 371, [1] pp.
€ 2,750
First editions of two major works on horticulture.
Ad 1: William Speechly (ca. 1740-1821), was gardener to William Henry Cavendish Bentinck, third Duke of Portland, at his estate Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire. Encouraged by the Duke he started writing down and publishing his knowledge and experience in gardening, and already in 1776 he contributed to Alexander Hunter's edition of Evelyn's 1664 Silva. In the present work Speechly describes 50 species of grapes, and discusses in depth greenhouse culture, the construction and management of vineyards in open air, pruning, irrigation, grafting, insect and blight control, etc., herewith laying the foundation for great improvements in English viticulture. Two views in the book show a giant vine growing at the front of a house at Northallerton, and an English vineyard against a hill.
Ad 2: William Forsyth (1737-1804), was superintendent of the Chelsea Gardens, and from 1784 of the Royal Gardens at Kensington and St. James. He was a Fellow of the Linnean and Antiquarian Societies, and one of the founders of the Horticultural Society of London. His works greatly contributed to the progress and success of hardy fruit growing. The Forsyth book is printed on J[ames] Whatman wove paper, some dated 1794 and 1801.
Although the margins of both works are quite large (3 to 5 cm) the ESTC suggests that the Speechly is an ordinary paper copy (it is at least largely on unwatermarked wove paper). Old owner's name at head of title-pages. Binding shows some signs of wear, slight foxing and browning, mainly to the first and last few leaves, otherwise in good condition. Ad 1: ESTC T147498 (cf. T147497); Henrey III, 1376. Ad 2: cf. Hunt, p. XXXVII; Pritzel 2985.
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