GENERAL VIEW OF THE AGRICULTURE IN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET; WITH OBSERV

(WASHINGTON, George) BILLINGSLEY, John. GENERAL VIEW OF THE AGRICULTURE IN T COUNTY OF SOMERSET; WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEANS OF ITS IMPROVEMENT. London: W. Smith, 1794. 8vo. Contemporary half-calf, marbled boards. (ii), 3 pages, 2 colored folding maps. First edition. One of a series of county agricultural reports "drawn up for the consideratio of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement." Each county in Englan Scotland, and Wales is examined with a detailed report published with the intention of assessing conditions of concern to farming, husbandry, land use, and laborers needs. Each region of the respective county is detailed -- condition of soils, forests, fields, and placement of estate and farm houses. While each volume of this series follows the same pattern for reporting information on the respective conditions in each county, each report also focuses on specific needs and advantages in the county. The report for Somer is far more detailed than most of the others and includes two maps. One map shows the entire county while the other map is a detailed "Plan for more effectually draining the turf bogs and flooded lands near the Rivers Brue and Axe." Another report is "A description of Robert Weldon's Hydrostatic or Caisson-Lock, which is now building and nearly completed on the Somerset Coal-Canal near Coomb-Hay." Moderate wear to covers. George Washington, wit his lifetime interest in improving his farming and husbandry practices, collected many of this series of reports for his library, including this volu Front hinge internally weak, but firm. Some foxing, else very good.