Little is known of James Shaw, other than he was head gardener at Mulgrave Caslte, North Yorkshire, and this appears to be his only published work. He dedicates the book to his Patron and employee the Right Honourable Henry, Lord Mulgrave and states in his advertisement “Gardening at this period, is an object of general pursuit, from its useful and admirable effects. The most elegant and superior branch of it, is that of forcing fruit, which are natives of warmer climates; and the perfection of them, in some measure, depends upon proper constructed forcing-houses for the reception. I was therefore induced, from an unremitted application of Practice and Theory, commenced at an early period, to offer the following Plans, &c, to the Public; which may enable any Gentleman to be his own architect, in the most important part of the science alluded to, and also accommodate the practical Gardener, who may not have had an opportunity of acquiring this part of Theory: and, I trust, this work (which I believe to be the only general one yet published) will not be unacceptable to the admirers of Horticulture; particularly those who are, or may be in the future, interested in such improvements.”

The first seven plates depict a different design for constructing stoves and heated walls for the said appropriate fruit (i.e. the melon, the peach and nectarine, the vinery, pine and vine and the winter-fruiting pine stove), these are followed by four designs for the conservatory and the green-house. Each plate is accompanied by an explanatory leaf which also includes instructions on how to variegate the amount of heat used and the best way of propagating different fruits or vegetables. Several of the designs are after those already in use at Mulgrave Castle.