156 - LIGER, Louis. *La Nouvelle Maison Rustique, or General Economy of All Country Estates*.

LIGER, Louis. *La Nouvelle Maison Rustique, or General Economy of All Country Estates*. Paris, Durand, 1768. In-4 (25 x 19 cm), marbled havana calfskin, smooth spine decorated with panels. Red edges. Period binding. 2 vols.: 916 pp. – 894 pp.; numerous engravings within the text and as inserts Bindings rubbed, cap bands damaged. Some light foxing and browned pages. New (9th) edition, “considerably expanded and better organized,” of this great classic on rural and agricultural life, first published in 1700 by Louis Liger (1658–1717) and subsequently reprinted and continually expanded. Illustrated with a frontispiece and numerous engravings outside the text as well as figures within the text, several of which relate to hunting and falconry. The topics are covered in great detail; each entry provides a precise picture of the techniques and methods used in the early 19th century: hunting, fishing, gastronomy, and wines—including numerous recipes for cooking, pastries, jams, liqueurs, and beekeeping, as well as construction, gardens and how to design them, poultry, horses, harvests, all species of trees and shrubs, birds, and so on. The success of this encyclopedia lies in its ability to condense a wealth of practical knowledge (without oversimplification or popularization) in a way that is almost playful for the reader; the chapters on gardening are exemplary in this regard. A fine copy.