SPEECHLY, William. A Treatise on the Culture of the Pineapple and the Management of the Hot-house. Together with a description of every species of insect that infest hot-houses, with effectual methods of destroying them. York: A Ward. 1779.
8vo. Handsome contemporary full tree calf, gilt spine with morocco lettering piece, marbled endpapers; pp. xviii + 186 + [ii], 2 engraved plates (1 folding); previous owner's signature to title page, hinges tender with splitting spine and lettering piece partially removed, internally near fine, overall very good.
First edition. An important treatise on pineapple cultivation on Britain, preceding his A Treatise on the Culture of the Vine (1790) : ""These works by Speechly were the most important on the culture of the pineapple and the vine published during the eighteenth century, and it may be said that they laid the foundation for the improvements which followed" (Blanche Henrey). Speechly was the gardener of the third Duke of Portland, in which role he developed a number of principles of hot-house gardening, principally not over-heating it during the winter.
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