Communications to the Board of Agriculture; on subjects relative to The Husbandry, and Internal Improvement of the Country Vols I - IV

London: Printed by W Bulmer and Co, for George Nicol, and to the Board of Agriculture; and sold by Messrs. Robinson; J Sewell; Cadell and Davies; W Creech; and J Archer, 1797 A good to very good set of 4 volumes in contemporary quarter leather with marbled boards. Packed with articles, letters and notes on developments in agriculture, estate management, roads and vehicles in Britain and elsewhere at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Numerous plates of estate plans, machinery, cottage styles, boundary styles etc. Interesting to note that this is contemporary with Jane Austen and provides a detailed background to the management of the great estates and the roads and means of transport referred to in her work. The bindings have raised bands with gilt lining to spine and red title labels. Vol I has a volume label; the remaining 3 have lost theirs. The corners look to be reinforced with a form of parchment. All have some wear at spine ends, with rubbing at the joints and turning to corners. Light scuff to boards and small pasted label to front pastedowns. Vol I: binding with some loss at the bottom spine end. Contents: title to parts I & II; contents list 2pp; Advert pp i-ii; hand coloured sketch of Sir John Sinclair's travels; preliminary observations, appendices to p lxxii; half title Part I; text (mainly farm buildings) with 33 plates, of which 5 are folding; half title - Cottages; text pp 77-117 with errata and 6 plates; title to Vol III and IV 1797; contents list 4 pp; half title Roads; text pp 119-207 with 6 plates; half title - Foreign Communications; text pp 211-386 with 2 plates; appendix to Vol I pp 387-412 with 4 plates; index 7pp. Vol II - title 1800; contents and list of premiums pp iii-viii; Communications eg on enclosing land pp 1-493 with 25 plates including a colour plan and 3 folding; index pp 495-501; list of publications 1 p. Vol III: binding with wear and fraying at spine ends and a lot of edge wear. Some loss of marbled paper and beginning of splitting at front spine joint - although sound. Internally some marks at endpapers of tape across the joints at the top and bottom. Contents: title 1802; half title; dedication; contents and premiums to p xiv; text Part I pp 1-291; title to Part II 1804; contents 2 pp; text pp 293-545. Vol IV: binding with some paper beginning to come away from side edge and old marks from tape at endpapers as per Vol III. Contents: half title; title 1805; contents 8pp; half title; text pp 1-228; half title; text pp 231-446 with 1 large folding table, a large folding colour plan and 12 plates of which 4 folding; 2 index sections 16 pp. The contents are generally very clean and sound with additional illustrations in the text. There is occasional offsetting from plates and toning at the top margins. The plates numbers are not in sequence and are generally not helpful. Vol I has occasional light foxing with a heavily foxed section at pp 262-272. P 377 has a repaired paper flaw in the gutter. Vols II, III, and IV have occasional sections with very toned paper. Vol IV has some old ink marks at the side margin p 4; repaired side edge tear at p 73 and a repaired top edge gutter tear at p 211. Please enquire if you would like to see additional images.