ANDERSON, James.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

A Practical Treatise on Draining Bogs and Swampy Grounds, First separate edition of this treatise on land reclamation, originally published in the Essays relating to Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 1775. The folding plate opposite page 1 depicts techniques and designs for proper irrigation and drainage systems, while the text also includes extensive advice on fencing, hedging, and "the different varieties of wool-bearing animals" (p. 229).James Anderson (1739-1808) rose from a tenant farm in Edinburgh to undertake research for Pitt the Younger, receive an LL.D. from Aberdeen University, anticipate Ricardo's theory of rent, befriend Jeremy Bentham and correspond with George Washington. Much of his success is attributable to the quality and passion of his research. On meeting Bentham, Anderson quickly became involved in his plans for the Panopticon: for a time it was expected that he would bid to manage it. Cooling relations between the pair meant that the plan, as with so much else involving the prison, failed to materialise.Provenance: Anthony George Wright-Biddulph (1785-1854) of Burton Park, West Sussex. The extensive gardens at Burton Park were landscaped by both Brown and Repton, who produced a red book for the estate in 1798. Wright-Biddulph inherited Burton Park in 1835: he may well have inherited this copy as part of the estate library. His engraved armorial bookplate inadvertently placed upside down on the rear pastedown.

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