A complete dictionary of practical gardening : comprehending all the modern improvements in the art; whether in the raising of the various esculent vegetables, or in the forcing and managing of different sorts of fruits and plants, and that of laying out, ornamenting, and planting, gardens and pleasure grounds: with correct engravings of the necessary apparatus, in buildings and other contrivances, as well as of the more rare and curious plants cultivated for ornament or variety: from original drawings by Sydenham Edwards
Information
Title
A complete dictionary of practical gardening : comprehending all the modern improvements in the art; whether in the raising of the various esculent vegetables, or in the forcing and managing of different sorts of fruits and plants, and that of laying out, ornamenting, and planting, gardens and pleasure grounds: with correct engravings of the necessary apparatus, in buildings and other contrivances, as well as of the more rare and curious plants cultivated for ornament or variety: from original drawings by Sydenham Edwards
Record type
Book
Shelf mark
950 MAC VOL 1
Author or creator
Alexander McDonald (fl.1790s-1800s)
Scope & content
The entry on Amygdalus describes cultivars of peaches, that on Bromelia of pineapples, that on Citrus of oranges, that on Ficus of figs, that on Pyrus of apples and pears, that on Ribes of gooseberries, and that on Vinery of grapes. There are entries on Green-house plants, Stove plants, Forest trees, Standard trees, Trained trees, and Wall trees; edible mushrooms are dealt with under Spawn. There are also entries on garden features such as Bowling-green, Garden, Glass case, Terrace, Treillage, Wall.
Vol. I: [A]1r, title; [A]2r-v, preface; B1r-P2v, main text. Vol. II: [A]2r, title; B1r-3Y4r, main text; 3Y4r-v, communication from Mr. Buonaiuti, gardener to the Right Honourable Lord Holland, Holland-House, Kensington [on dahlias and their first flowering in 1804]. 3Z1r-4D2v, indexes.
There are 61 leaves of coloured engraved plates in all, numbered from 1 to 60 but with two plates to no. 19; plate 19* represents dahlias, for which there is no entry in the alphabetical sequence, but a note on the first dahlias grown at Holland House appears at the end of the main text. Each plate depicts two or more species of plants, and taken through the numerical sequence of plates the figures are more or less in alphabetical order, but the printed publication dates of the plates are random. Plates 1-28 are bound in the first volume, with plate 17 out of sequence, immediately following plate 15. Plates 29-60 are bound in the second volume, with the following plates out of sequence: 29 (following 30), 34 (following 35), 40 (following 44), 44 (following 45), 46 (following 47), 48 (following 55), 50 (following 48).
Provenance note: Front pastedown bears presentation label acknowledging gift of Mrs P. Bosanquet of Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, 1977. The ink signature of Sophia Mackenzie appears on the title-page of vol. 1, and the names and dates of various Mackenzie family members appear on fly-leaves. Numerous pages in this copy have been partially painted over with portrayals of flowers in watercolour. The fly-leaf of the first volume bears an annotation: "Sophia MacKenzie took the book to Kew Gardens as the numbers came out & painted the flowers in the text."