Description

The Bulb Book by John Weathers

First Edition, 1911 — Published by E. P. Dutton & Company

Full Title (from title page):
The Bulb Book, or Bulbous and Tuberous Plants for the Open Air, Stove, and Greenhouse. Containing particulars as to descriptions, culture, propagation, etc., of plants from all parts of the world having bulbs, corms, tubers, or rhizomes (orchids excluded).

Green cloth binding with gilt lettering on the spine and cover, gilt top edge to the textblock, 471 pages including the index. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white line drawings. There is some bumping to the lower corners (see gallery for example). Ephemera found inside about ordering Giant French Anemones bulbs.

From the title page, the ambition is evident: a comprehensive manual on bulbous and tuberous plants in multiple environments — open air, greenhouse, or “stove” (a term of the period for heated greenhouses). Weathers discusses descriptions, culture methods, propagation, soil, climate, and more — drawing from plant species across the globe.

John Weathers (1867–1928), the author, was a Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society and formerly of the Royal Gardens at Kew. He devoted much of his career to writing practical horticultural manuals, known for blending scientific detail with hands-on advice. His professional background at Kew gave him direct experience with an extraordinary range of plants, and he brought this expertise into his published works.

To a collector of horticultural or botanical books, this is more than a pretty volume. It captures a moment in the early 20th century when bulb cultivation had matured into both art and science. For gardeners, nurserymen, or botanical enthusiasts of that era, it would have served as a serious reference. Today it stands as a window into horticultural practices and botanical thinking of 1911.

~See all of the pictures posted in the Gallery Area of this posting!~

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