Agriculture

The Elements of Dowsing – Henry de France

Anyone interested in the extraordinary skill of dowsing, to discover water of valuable minerals, should read this efficient go to book by Le Vicomte Henry de France. This English edition translated by A.H. Bell and published by G Bell, London in 1967.

We learn that the author was a leading expert in the field who unfortunately packed his clogs before it was published.

Octavo, 84 pages with the occasional appropriate sketch or diagram. Ownership name marked out on free end paper … otherwise a fine copy in a very good dust jacket.

Set out in nine chapters we start with the “History of the Art of Dowsing” and then the instruments – the Pendulum and the Rod. This leads to the Technique and Dowsing for Water and Minerals and Metals – enough to get any budding geologist interested. More advanced applications and an introduction to Radiesthesia … in cooking, medical applications and agriculture (some serious money saving ideas for the farmer with time to study and experiment).

Ever since we saw Jimmy on Opal Hunters get his dowsing rod out we have been hooked.

Understand and learn the science of dowsing – better than any University degree.

$50.00

Updating cart…

Elements of Agricultural Chemistry – Humphry Davy – First Edition 1813

A first edition of this important scientific work by (Sir) Humphry Davy (1788-1829).

Published by Longmans, London in 1813. Presented as a series of lectures on the subject.

Quarto, bound in three quarter leather over marbled boards, separate leather title. Pages viii, 323, lxiii, 5, with ten engraved plate one large and folding. Some light foxing and age as always.

Knighted later, Davy was the leading chemist of the day. He worked with early batteries and possessed what was the most powerful battery at the time which he used in his often flamboyant lectures.

He is attributed with the discovery of the field of electrochemistry and isolated many elements for the first time, particularly the alkaline metal … sodium, potassium, lithium etc.

After this work he invented the miners safety lamp that takes his name and has saved thousands of lives.

He became the President of the Royal Society and took on Michael Faraday as his assistant and note taker. They were both injured in experiments involving the explosive Nitrogen trichloride … a chemical that can be formed in swimming baths through the interaction of Chlorine and Urine.

Humphry Davy the most respected scientist of the period – his lectures and the chemistry of agriculture.

$690.00

Updating cart…

No Image Available

Winners Medal [Fruits in Syrup] – Agricultural Society of New South Wales – 1878

The Agricultural Society of New South Wales issued these sumptuous medals to class winners. This one was issued for the 1878 show.

9.0 cm in diameter cast in bronze and makes quite a statement. Made by Hardy Brothers of London and Sydney. A few bumps around the edge and a hint of compression, still beautifully defined and imposing.

Features the female form depicting “New South Wales” standing and looking forward holding alighted torch and holding the wreath of a victor. Around her are four children representing the four seasons with harvest wheat, grapes and sheep to tend. Below in three small panels the arts, agriculture and industry are represented.

On the obverse the victor’s wreath circling the engraved winners details under the slogan of the event “Practice with Science”.

“Sydney Jam Preserving Coy for best Collection of Fruits in Syrup – Sydney 1878”

A good and early example of this grand Agricultural Winners Medal.

$125.00

Updating cart…

A King Island Settler’s Tale – Jim Paterson – Self published

Scarce self published, Hobart 2001.

Soft cover, perfect bound, octavo size, 302 pages, illustrated from period photographs, fine condition.

Jim Patterson was born in 1992 in Sydney .. he moved around Australia, married had jobs of sheep stations, woolscour sorter, driver … WWII came long and afterwards in the 1950’s was awarded a War Service Land Settlement block on King Island. This enthralling account is all about the trials and tribulations associated with that life. Politic gets in the way – well it does.

This is a life in a book and the chapters headings give a clue … such as “they burnt the bloody pub down” and “disaster after disaster” … “a boat with one oar” .. the epilogue is more uplifting and it has a nice poem. Don’t be put off – this is a unique account and Jim comes out with a positive conclusion.

King Islands Post War Settler tells the Truth .

$60.00

Updating cart…

Land Settlement in Early Tasmania – Sharon Morgan

Published by Cambridge University Press in 1992. Large octavo, 212 pages, illustrated and a fine copy.

The author has used original letters and diaries as well as Government records and other historical documents to build a reliable picture of the use of land in Tasmania during the early period of Colonialisation. In detail we get to understand the lot of early settlers, their conflicts, pastimes, successes and failures and their impact and attitude to the environment.

Morgan explores the impact of Colonialisation on the landscape of Tasmania

$50.00

Updating cart…

The Henty Journals – A Record of Farming, Whaling and Shipping in Portland Bay, 1834-1839. – Lynnette Peel

A super copy of this first edition well produced book published by The Miegunyah Press in 1966.

Large octavo, 297 pages, nicely illustrated. A fine copy and as always with the Miegunyah Press nothing spared, printed on Pageantry Text Creme paper, limited to a thousand copies.

The Henty family left Sussex in England in the 1820’s to make their life in Australia. With farms first in Western Australia and Tasmania they settled at Portland Bay in Victoria. Edward Henty is recognised as the first permanent settler in Victoria. Diaries written by Edward and his brother Francis are a prized possession of the State Library of Victoria. They form the basis of this book. Brother Thomas settled at Launceston in Tasmania and bred Marino sheep often selling to the Macarthurs of Camden. Not restricting their activities to the land they undertook maritime and whaling adventures and sadly had a hand in reducing the population of the Southern Right Whale.

The Diaries of the brothers Henty – a genuine glimpse into life in the early 19thC.

$80.00

Updating cart…

The Elements of Dowsing – Henry de France

Elements of Agricultural Chemistry – Humphry Davy – First Edition 1813

Winners Medal [Fruits in Syrup] – Agricultural Society of New South Wales – 1878

A King Island Settler’s Tale – Jim Paterson – Self published

Land Settlement in Early Tasmania – Sharon Morgan

The Henty Journals – A Record of Farming, Whaling and Shipping in Portland Bay, 1834-1839. – Lynnette Peel

Product Categories