Gardening in India

[Simla, India]: [Army Press], ca1890. First Edition.. Original cloth backed printed wrappers; text block stapled.. Good; some wear to the wrappers.. Large 8vo (appx. 240 x 155 mm), [2], [1] - 9, [10 - blank], [i] - ii, 285, [286 - blank] pp. Unsigned.

"The main object of this little manual is to present as far as possible ... all the information and guidance necessary for the successful and profitable cultivation of the flowers, fruit and vegetables worth growing .... Many famous books have been written from time to time on the subject of gardening in India, but from an amateur's point of view the chief drawback in most of these is that they are either too sketchy to be of real practical value to the beginner or, on the other hand, are burdened with a superfluity of technical complexities which though perhaps desirable from a specialist's point of view for the completion and standardisation of such works, more often than not prove confusing and tiresome to the ordinary lover of gardening" (Introduction). The text is laid out in dictionary form with a substantial number of entries that do not relate directly to plants, e.g., "frames and pits" or "garden law". The plant entries bring a good deal of personal commentary from the author. No copy located.