A New and Complete System of Practical Husbandry; Vol. 5; Of the Making and Managing of Fermented Liquors, John Mills, 1765

This is the fifth and final volume of A New and Complete System of Practical Husbandry, a comprehensive 18th-century agricultural manual compiled by John Mills, a Fellow of the Royal Society and a notable translator and agronomist of the period. While the earlier volumes focus on soil preparation, crop rotation, livestock, and general farm management, Volume V stands apart for its detailed treatment of fermented beverages, including beer, ale, cider, perry, mead, and wines made from both native and imported fruits.

Drawing upon both British and continental traditions, Mills outlines the practical techniques for brewing and fermenting, storage methods, and quality control, alongside discussions of seasonal timing, necessary equipment, and preservation. It reflects a moment in agricultural history when rural households and estates often produced their own liquors, and fermentation was considered a vital part of self-sufficiency.

This volume is both a valuable resource in the history of brewing and oenology, and an important reference for historians of agriculture, domestic economy, and 18th-century rural life.

A New and Complete System of Practical Husbandry; Containing all that experience has proved to be most useful in farming, either in the old or new method; with a comparative view of both; And whatever is beneficial to the Husbandman, or conducive to the ornament and improvement of the Country Gentleman's Estate. Vol. V; Of the Making and Managing of Fermented Liquors. By John Mills, Esq.

London: Printed for the Author; and sold by J.Johnson, 1765 first edition.

A very good full contemporary calf volume with raised bands and gilded morocco title labels. Some bumping and wear, but a handsome volume. Cracked to gutter at front inner hinge, but all still soundly bound. First blank free endpaper with some creasing.

Text is bright and clean throughout with mild signs of ageing. Title page in red and black. Edge of text block speckled red. A very usable volume.

Provenance: Signed on the title page by Anthony Murray of Crieff, and bearing matching private library spine label consistent with other known books from the Murray family collection. Murray, known as “Auld Dullerie,” was part of a scholarly Scottish lineage with connections to the University of Leiden, the Jacobite rising, and military and scientific service through the 18th and 19th centuries.

Text in English.

xiv (note: there are mistakes in the numbering, as issued) + 290pp (end of Vol. V) + 291-342pp (Appendix) + xcviii (Index). 

Approximate dimensions: 215mm x 140mm x c. 35mm.

Weight: Approximately 600g (the set - unpacked).