pour bien dresser, gouverner, enrichir et embellir la Maison Rustique. Nouvelle Édition conforme au texte, augmentée de Notes
et d’un Vocabulaire; publiée par la Société d’Agriculture du Départment de la Seine. Tome I [II]. A
Paris: De l’Imprimerie et dans la Librairie de Madame
Huzard, An
XII [1804], An
XIV [1805].
2 vol. 4to. vol. I, 432 leaves, 2 engraved plates including the portrait frontispiece by B. Roger; vol. II, 496 leaves; 17 engraved plates including the frontispiece; engraved headpiece in each volume, by Ponce and C. P. Marillier, after Maréchal; text printed in double columns. In vol. I the preliminary matter includes the
Liste des Sousscripteurs;
[
sic
--
Ed.
] the
Eloge d’Olivier de Serres, by N. François (de Neufchâteau), the
Épitre (in verse),
Pièces relatives à cette nouvelle édition, et à l’Éloge,
Essai historique sur l’état de l’Agriculture en Europe au seizième siecle. Par le C. Grégoire [with a biobibliography],
Poésies des contemporains d’Olivier de Serres. In vol. II the preliminary matter includes a
Seconde Liste des souscripteurs,
Supplément à l’Éloge par N. François (
de Neufchâteau),
Notice bibliographique des différentes éditions du Théàtre d’Agriculture d’Olivier de Serres, par J. B. Huzard.
Brunet IV, 265.
Quérard IX, 80.
Bradley III, 111.
Huzard catalogue II, 797.
Jefferson’s copy was bound by Milligan on April 30, 1808, price $6.00 the 2 volumes.
The book was a presentation to him from the publishers, the
Société d’Agriculture du Département de la Seine, sent through its secretary, A. F. Silvestre, who wrote from Paris on September 19, 1807: “. . . La Société vous prie aussi d’accepter un exemplaire de la nouvelle édition du theâtre d’Agriculture d’Olivier de Serres,
publiée par ses soins; ouvrage qui, après deux Siècles d’existence, n’a encore vieilli que pour le Style, et qui sera toujours
le guide le plus assuré des Agriculteurs. Cette édition est augmentée d’un grand nombre de notes et d’éclairissemens,
[
sic
--
Ed.
] que l’introduction de nouvelles cultures et quelques perfectionnemens ajoutés aux anciennes rendaient nécessaires, et qui
ont été fournis par divers membres de la Société. . .”
The gift was acknowledged by Jefferson in a letter to Silvestre from Washington, July 15, 1808: “
. . . but I owe particular acknolegements for the valuable present of the Theatre de De Serres, which I consider as a prodigy
for the age in which it was composed, and shews an advancement in the science of Agriculture which I had never suspected to
have belonged to that time. brought down to the present day by the very valuable notes added, it is really such a treasure
of Agricultural knolege, as has not before been offered to the world in a single work.
”
In a letter to Robert R. Livingston, written from Washington on January 3, 1808, Jefferson mentioned that the Paris Société
d’Agriculture had lately republished this work in 2 vol. 4to, with the comment: “
. . . altho written in the reign of H. IV. it is the finest body of Agriculture extant, & especially as improved by voluminous
notes which bring it’s processes to the present day . . .
”
This edition is on Jefferson’s list of agricultural works sent to W. C. Nicholas in December, 1809, recommended for purchase
for the Library of Congress: “
Theatre d’Agriculture de De-Serres: 2. v. 4
to. the most compleat & able body of husbandry extant, altho’ written in the reign of H. IV. of France. lately republished with
most valuable notes of the modern improvements in husbandry.
”
Olivier de Serres, Seigneur du Pradel, 1539-1619, French agriculturalist, was employed by Henri IV to form a plantation of the white mulberry in the garden of
the Tuileries. The first edition of this work was printed in 1600.
Nicolas Louis François, comte de Neufchâteau, 1750-1828, French poet and statesman, became interested in agriculture after his appointment in 1797
as Minister of the Interior.
Henri Grégoire, 1751-1831, French Bishop, was the constitutional bishop of Blois.
Jean Baptiste Huzard, 1755-1838, French agriculturalist.
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