Book excerpt: As aptly categorized in the foreword: "This is gardening at ground level, history with (you might say) dirty fingernails." The late son of the Huxley dynasty of scientists chronicles the derived-from-agriculture gardening techniques and implements invented and used across cultures and the centuries (everything but power mowers it seems). Huxley also considers more recent trends: greater numbers of leisure gardeners optimizing smaller lots, growing from seed, and organic gardening. Includes numerous bandw illustrations. Originally published by Paddington Press. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR