Abercombie
was the son of a market gardener and became himself a
gardener and nurseryman. His knowledge was obtained
entirely from experience.
His books indicate the extent to which horticulture
was not being subdivided into its various components.
Most books were popular and went through several
editions. Among his books are the following:
Every Man His Own Gardener (1767)
The Universal Gardener and Botanist (1770)
The Garden Mushroom, Its Nature and Cultivation
(1779)
The British Fruit Garden and Art of Pruning
(1779)
The Complete Forcing Gardener, etc. (1781)
The Propagation and Botanical Arrangement of Plants
and Trees, Useful and Ornamental (1785)
The Complete Kitchen Gardener and Hot-Bed
Forcer (1789)
The Hot-House Gardener (1789)
The Gardener's Pocket Journal and Annual
Register (1791)
These works were the standard gardening manuals
throughout the latter half of the 18th and the first
half of the 19th Centuries and gradually supplanted
those of Philip Miller.
