A Manual of the Coniferae, containing a General Review of the Order; a Synopsis of the Hardy Kinds cultivated in Great Britain; their Place and Use in Horticulture ...
Chelsea, James Veitch & Sons, 1881.
Large octavo, [iv], 350 pages with 63 illustrations plus numerous full-page engravings and 3 folding plates.
Brown cloth lettered and decorated in gilt, and decorated in black all round; covers bumped, rubbed and slightly worn at the extremities; binding cracked in one place (but firm); endpapers and adjacent leaves a trifle foxed and marked; top corner crease to the title leaf; ownership details (but see below); bottom margin of 25 consecutive leaves lightly creased; occasional annotations and emphases (mostly in pencil - again, see below); mild signs of age and use; a very good copy.
The contemporary ownership details of 'Jos. W. Love, Wirrabara S.A. 11/1/82' are written in ink at the head of the title page, with those of 'Walter Gill | Wirrabara Forest | 1886' and 'Stan Lightenning 1966' on the verso of the front free endpaper. Joseph Love was a South Australian forester and botanical illustrator, whose work appeared in various editions of J.E. Brown's 'A Practical Treatise on Tree Culture in South Australia' (first published in 1881). Walter Gill (1851-1929) was born in England; in December 1876 he 'came to South Australia, to go upon a station property owned by an uncle. After gaining pastoral experience he became overseer for Mr. John Howard Angas at Mount Remarkable, a famous station in those days and for years later, but now cut up for the settlement of soldiers. In 1884 Mr. Gill was appointed inspector of credit lands. During his travels, covering many thousands of miles throughout the State, he was invariably on the lookout for botanical specimens to send to the then Conservator of Forests, Mr. J. E. Brown. In 1886 he was given the position of chief forester at Wirrabara, and four years later, on the departure of Mr. Brown for New South Wales, Mr. Gill was appointed Conservator of Forests in his stead. Mr. Gill was the first in South Australia to utilise successfully the Remarkable pine (Pinus Insignis) for commercial purposes. This tree matures in South Australia in half the time that it takes in Europe, and makes excellent timber ... He gave special attention to the cultivation of eucalypts, pines, and other trees in this State. Being a practical photographer, he applied the art to illustrate the operations of the Woods and Forests Department in annual reports and in lectures on forestry. This widely increased the public interest on the subject' (Obituaries Australia, online). He was the influential Conservator of Forests until his retirement in 1920. Most (if not all) of the annotations are in his hand, and he may also be responsible for placing the two dried specimens of Pinus species in the book.
Item #147192
Price (AUD):
$550.00