[Arboriculture/Agriculture] Columella, Lucius Iunius Moderatus : De re rustica libri XII. Eiusdem de arboribus liber, separatus ab alijs. Julduni Apud Seb. Gryphium 1548

In-8°, pp. 491, (21). Post. binding in full old parchment with gold titles and decorations on the spine. Marbled edges. Latin text. Typographical mark on the front. Headings, initials and figures in copperplate engraving. Winged sphinx in woodcut on the last leaf. Sporadic foxing and browning. Notes and underlining in old ink in the text.

Treatise on agriculture by the ancient Roman writer Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (ca. 4 - 70 AD), the most learned agronomist of antiquity, wrote this work around 40 AD. Masterpiece of rural economy by the Latin agronomist Columella (1st century AD), originally from Cadiz. Lyon edition of the most complete and one of the most interesting agricultural treatises that antiquity has left us. The original edition of this work, together with those of Cato, Varro and Palladius Rutilius, was published in Venice by Nicolas Jenson in 1472. De re rustica is divided into thirteen books, twelve of which are in prose and deal with the choice of the work domain, various crops, the care of bees, livestock and poultry; only the tenth is written in verse, and deals with the cultivation of gardens. The thirteenth and final book, which is reported in the appendix or as a separate treatise, although being an integral part of the work, deals with the cultivation of forest and fruit trees.