Inside the book

The work brings together a series of essays devoted to the propagation, care, and regulation of mulberry trees, alongside systematic treatments of vine cultivation. These core sections are complemented by additional studies on green manuring and the cultivation of alfalfa, illustrating Verri’s interest in soil improvement and crop rotation as part of a coherent agricultural system. Specialized chapters address the production of silkworm seed and the management of mulberry leaves, linking plant cultivation directly to sericulture. Throughout, Verri balances theoretical principles with experience drawn from practice, presenting agriculture as a field governed by observable laws but refined through sustained experimentation. The treatise thus synthesizes botanical knowledge, rural technique, and economic purpose, offering an integrated vision of farming suited to the environmental and productive conditions of northern Italy in the early nineteenth century.