THE EPITOME OF THE ART OF HUSBANDRY. Comprizing all necessary directions for the improvement of it, viz. plowing, sowing, grafting, gardening, ordering of flowers, herbs; directions for the use of the angle; ordering of bees: by BLAGRAVE, Joseph.: - 1675

London, printed for Benjamin Billingsley, at the sign of the Printing-Press, in the piazza of the Royal Exchange, over against Popes-Head-Alley, in Corn-Hill, 1675.. TITLE CONTINUED: together with the gentlemans heroick exercise discoursing of horses, their nature, and use, with their diseases and remedies: of oxen, cows, calves, sheep, hogs, with the manner of ordering them, their diseases and remedies. Of the nature of marle, the best way of planting clover-grass, hops, saffron, liquorice, hemp, &c. To which is annexed by way of appendix, a new method of planting fruit-trees, and improving of an orchard: with directions for taking, ordering, teaching, and curing of singing birds, and other useful additions. By J.B. Gent. THIRD EDITION WITH NEW ADDITIONS IN 2 PARTS, 1675. Small 8vo, approximately 170 x 100 mm, 6½ x 4 inches, 2 engraved pictorial title pages and 2 printed title pages, pages: [8], 1-159, 158-246, mistake in pagination, as in all copies, no duplication. Second Part: 1-136, followed by 16 pages of index, last page publisher's advert, rebound in full modern speckled calf, gilt lettered label, gilt rules and date to spine, new cream endpapers. First engraved title laid down on old paper, tips of corners rounded, old ink name on blank side, small neat repairs to tips of 2 lower corners and 1 outer margin, nowhere near text, pale age-browning throughout with occasional small brown spot, occasional nick to edges, light creasing to a few corners, old ink name to top of first letterpress title page, second name scribbled out, a good copy. A large part of New Additions (pages 51-136) is on singing birds, in the first part there are several small mentions of bees and angling. The author's character appears to have been a curious mixture of earnest piety with a profound belief in the virtues of astrology, he also performed a curious healing of a deaf and dumb girl (Dictionary of National Biography). See: Agricultural Writers by Donald McDonald, page 124 with images of title pages; Mary Aslin, Catalogue of Printed Books on Agriculture, page 17; Catalogue of Botanical Books in the Collection of Rachel Hunt, Volume 1, No. 336, pages 359-360; The Library of John Gerrard Heckscher of New York, No. 205, page 32; Catalogue of Printed Books in the Wellcome Medical Library, Volume 2, page 174; British Bee Books A Bibliograpy 1500-1976, page 53, No. 41; ESTC R4466. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.