ELLIS (William). The Modern Husbandman, for the Month June...1742

London: Printed for, and Sold by T. Osborne, First edition, 8vo, [2], 190, [8]pp., recent buckram. William Ellis (c.1700–1758), agriculturist and writer. After a short period in the brewing industry, Ellis bought Church Farm at Little Gaddesden, near Hemel Hamstead, Hertfordshire, were he combined the practice of farming with his passion for writing on the subject. His writings were far more successful than his farming activities and his early books were very well received and "farmers in all parts of the country asked him to visit and report on their farms. He travelled over the country giving advice and observing different farming methods... Many farmers visited Ellis's farm at Little Gaddesden, but they found that he did not practise what he advocated in print, that his implements were old-fashioned, and that his land was neglected and in bad condition." (ODNB). Provenance: From the Lawes Agriculture Library, Rothamsted Research Institute.