A RARE find from the 18th Century has been discovered in among a donation to Hereford’s Oxfam Bookshop.

The title, The Clergy-Man’s Recreation: showing the Pleasure and Profit of the Art of Gardening by John Lawrence, Rector of Yelvertoft in Northamptonshire and Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridge is rebound with two companion titles which followed its publication in 1714.

“It’s very unusual for us to have something of this nature,” said manager Jan Gilbert, which makes pricing it harder.

“A professor at Oxford University remarked upon it while browsing in the shop and said that he thought my guesstimate of its value was pretty accurate given its age and nature, which was nice.”

The Clergy-Man’s recreation was Lawrence’s first published discourse on gardening and is devoted almost entirely to fruit trees and their training and cultivation.

It is of special interest for its early mention of a transfer of viruses by grafting.

The practical nature of Lawrence’s books made them very popular.

Oxfam Bookshop on Broad Street sells a whole feast of things including vinyl, books, new goods from Oxfam and ephemera