Cartilla Elemental de Agricultura

Havana: Establecimiento Tipografico de Barcina, 1850. Very good.. 173,[2, blank],10pp. Contemporary presentation binding of full orange calf, spine gilt extra, boards with elaborate gilt floral borders, stamped in gilt on front board, reading "Escmo. S.D. Francisco Armero y Penaranda." All edges gilt. Spine lightly sunned, boards a bit rubbed, light wear to extremities. Minor foxing to title page, occasional light thumb-soiling to margins. A decidedly-rare and informative primer on Cuban agriculture published in Havana in 1850. The author, Benito Ceferino Miranda Prieto is described on the title page as an agronomist at the College of San Fernando in (truncated) Madrid. In this, the second edition of his work after the first published in Spain in 1847, Miranda Prieto states in the "Advertencia" that he has provided a corrected and updated work tuned to the needs of farmers working in Cuba. The work includes detailed information on the construction and life cycle of plants; the proper tending and fertilizing of the land; the correct timing for planting wheat, rye, oats, beans, and numerous other crops; the importance and practices of irrigation; the proper cultivation of numerous vegetables, including lettuce, celery. peppers, strawberries, potatoes, beets, asparagus, carrots, onions, and others; the proper method and timing for planting dozens of different types of flowers and succulents; details on the planting and cultivation of trees; and how to cultivate olives and vines for making olive oil and wine. The work also includes an alphabetical index of terms and farm products. OCLC records just three institutional copies, at the University of Florida, the University of Miami, and the National Library of Spain. (Inventory #: 3963)