Over the course of several decades, Yorkshire agriculturalist Martin Burtt assembled an extraordinary library of antiquarian agricultural books, which he carefully and sympathetically cared for and had repaired. The collection focuses on books from the 16th to 18th centuries, spanning the transition from an era when it was considered dubious to attempt to improve on God’s Creation to the advent of the Age of Reason with its huge rise in literacy, invention, experimentation, and applied rationality. The great agricultural writers all appear in the collection, which covers the obvious subjects connected with farming and husbandry, such as breeding of livestock, improvements in land use, crops, developments in technology and veterinary practices as well as other niche subjects from falconry, brewing, gardening, botany, beekeeping and dogs to rat catching and cheese making.
Lot 74 - [HARTLIB (Samuel) An Essay for Advancement of...
Sold for £2,200
Estimated at £1,500 - £2,500
Lot 78 - HERESBACH (Conrad) Foure Bookes of Husbandry......
Sold for £2,400
Estimated at £700 - £1,200
Lot 86 - [PERIODICAL] HOUGHTON (John) A Collection of...
Sold for £1,900
Estimated at £2,000 - £3,000