John Gardiner and David Hepburn. THE AMERICAN GARDENER, CONTAINING AMPLE DIRECTIONS FOR WORKING A KITCHEN GARDEN, EVERY MONTH IN THE YEAR; AND COPIOUS INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION OF FLOWER GARDENS, VINEYARDS, NURSERIES, HOP-YARDS, GREEN HOUSES, AND HOT HOUSES. Washington, D.C.: Printed by Samuel H. Smith, for the authors, 1804. First edition. Full tree calf with gilt ruling on spine. 12mo; 204, [4]pp. With list of subscribers and final errata page. Provenance: names on paste-down, free endpaper, and title page, including Thomas Ruffin and William K. Ruffin, suggest the book may have once belonged to the Ruffin family of Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Shaw & Shoemaker 6366; Sabin 26621 (third ed. only).

6 3/4 x 4 1/4 in.

The second American gardening book to be published, and extremely scarce with seemingly only one other appearance at auction in the past thirty years and no copies in Worldcat at time of evaluation. The book offers a month-by-month guide for garden care, followed by a month-by-month guide for caring for fruit trees, flowers, and shrubs, and ends with a discussion of the cultivation of hops, hot houses, and green houses. The list of subscribers at the end includes Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and members of Congress, among others.

A sturdy little volume with light scuffing to boards and corners bumped, spine with dry cracking and minor wear at ends, label lost and joints rubbed, a few small wormholes on upper board, spine, and front joint; damp staining mostly through p. 24 and p. 193 forward with largest areas of staining at final leaves; pages toned with foxing and occasional grime; period writing on title page, a few pages trimmed shorter, hole in first free endpaper from ink stain, second free endpaper and final free endpaper seemingly torn out, wormhole in final (6) leaves and paste-down, one leaf with chip at margin. A good copy with an interesting provenance.