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Xuepu zashu 學圃雜疏

Aug 14, 2024 © Ulrich Theobald

Xuepu zashu 學圃雜疏 is a short book on gardening written during the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Wang Shimao 王世懋 (1536–1588), courtesy name Jingmei 敬美, style Sunzhai Daoren 損齋道人, from Taicang 太倉 close to Nanjing, Jiangsu. He obtained the jinshi degree in 1559 and was a clerk in the Ministry of Rites (libu zhushi 禮部主事) in Nanjing, vice education intendant (tixue fushi 提學副使) of Shanxi and Fujian, and finally Vice Chamberlain of Ceremonials (taichangsi shaoqing 太常寺少卿) of Nanjing. He is also known for his books Quejinzhuan 卻金傳, Er qiu wei tan zhailu 二酋委譚摘錄, Wangyalu 望崖錄, Mingshan youji 名山遊記, Minbu shu 閩部疏, Kuitian waisheng 窺天外乘 and Yipu xieyu 藝圃擷餘 (also written 秇圃擷餘). His collected works are Fengchang jici 奉常集詞, Wang Fengchang zazhu 王奉常雜著 and Wang Yibu ji 王儀部集. Wang also wrote a commentary on the story collection Shishuo xinyu 世說新語.

The Xuepu zashu records all the flowers (juan 1 Huashu 花疏), fruits, vegetables, melons, beans, and bamboo in Wang's garden (juan 2, ch. Guoshu 果疏, Guashu 瓜疏, Shushu 蔬疏, Doushu 荳疏, Zhushu 竹疏), as well as stories about this grocery (juan 3). The focus of the text is, however, on flowers, while the other plants are only briefly mentioned. Wang details the various species and their methods of cultivation. The appendix includes the section on peonies from Shen Maoguan's 慎楙官 (fl. 1581) Hua-Yi huamu niaoshou zhenwan kao 華夷花木鳥獸珍玩考.

The text is found in the series Guang baichuan xuehai 廣百川學海, Baoyantang miji 寶顏堂秘笈, Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編, and in abbreviated form in the Shuofu xu 說郛續.

Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, and Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 2, 1869. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.
Nongye da cidian bianji weiyuanhui 農業大詞典編輯委員會, ed. 1998. Nongye da cidian 農業大詞典, 1889. Beijing: Zhongguo nongye chubanshe.
Tang Meimei 唐媚媚. 2017. "Wang Shimao ji qi Xuepu zashu yanjiu wenxian zongshu 王世懋及其《學圃雜疏》研究文獻綜述." Anhui nongye kexue 安徽農業科學 45 (18): 250-252.
Wang Yonghou 王永厚. 1985. "Wang Shimao ji qi Xuepu zashu 王世懋及其《學圃雜疏》." Tushuguanxue yanjiu 圖書館學研究 1985 (5): 78-80.
Wang Yuhu 王毓瑚, ed. 1964. Zhongguo nongxue shulu 中國農學書錄, 150. Beijing: Nongye chubanshe.
Wu Xiujie 鄔秀傑, Zhou Xi 周曦, and Shi Zhongyi 史仲一. 2019. "Lun Wang Shimao Xuepu zashu zhong de zhiwu zaojing yishu 論王世懋《學圃雜疏》中的植物造景藝術." Jianzhu yu wenhua 建築與文化 2019 (6): 157-158.
Yan Zhe 閆哲. 2023. "Xuepu zashu banben kaolun 《學圃雜疏》版本考論." Gujin nongye 古今農業 2023 (1): 91-101+108.