Arthur Rackham Reaps Decorations for Cambridge’s Farming Guide

Part of publisher J.M. Dent’s 9 volume series on country living in 1903, Farming stands as a comprehensive manual for managing traditional British agricultural operations. Penned by Cambridge University agricultural scholar W.M. Tod, this practical guide aims to instruct general audiences on implementing profitable crop and livestock programs.

While published during the Victorian era, Tod’s breakdowns offer extensive evergreen advice on universal topics like choosing fertile land, applying effective fertilizers, harnessing farm machinery, breeding quality stock, and bringing goods to market. He also addresses oversight of laborers along with personal skills important for rural work like patience and analysis.

With the British Empire still dependent on agriculture economically, Tod translates complex information into plain accessible language for would-be gentlemen farmers and investment-minded newcomers. Though lacking attention given fanciful works, Rackham’s rustic space-fillers framing tips on activities like soil enrichment processes nod to overlooked miracles perpetuating community survival in symbiosis with the land. For comprehensiveness beyond fantasy spaces, collectors should harvest Rackham’s overlooked contributions elevating Tod’s essential farming foundations.

Limited Edition:

• Cream vellum binding with gilt decorative stamping (268 pages)
• Limited to 150 numbered sets
  

Trade Editions:

• Available in green or blue cloth versions (see: Wild Life in Hampshire Highlands)

Size (Limited Edition): 5 3⁄4 x 9 inches

Series: Volume in 9 volume Haddon Hall Library set

Text: Farming by W.M. Tod

Illustrations: 8 full page illustrations by Lucy Kemp-Welch; Chapter heads, tailpieces, endpapers by Arthur Rackham

Publisher: J.M. Dent & Co. (London)

Publication Date: 1903

Summary:
As part of publisher J.M. Dent’s decorated 9 volume Haddon Hall Library set, Arthur Rackham supplied bucolic endpapers and pastoral chapter heading pieces for Farming – Cambridge University agricultural scholar W.M. Tod’s 1903 instructional guide on running a profitable British farm. Simultaneously released in a cream vellum limited run of 150 hand-numbered copies alongside simpler cloth versions, Rackham’s country visions border Tod’s pragmatic overview of everything from crops and building maintenance to staff relations.

Though containing no leading Rackham images, his rustic embellishments foregrounding soil enrichment tips nod to the overlooked miracles permitting cycles of plenty. While lacking attention given fanciful works, Rackham’s vignettes capture wonder persisting in agriculture’s foundations perpetuating community survival generation after generation. For comprehensiveness, collectors should harvest these overlooked rackham ornaments beautifying the practical bedrock enabling stable civilization.