North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Claude Jolicoeur <cjoli@gmc.ulaval.ca>]

For those interested in antique fruit books, many have been digitalised and
are available on the WWW. These books may be downloaded as PDF files that
include all pages scanned with a high resolution. The result is very
readable and the next best thing apart from having the real book at hand.
However, these are big files, ranging between 10 and 80 Megs, and a fast
internet link is recommended for downloading them.

Here is a list of the most interesting ones that I found.

Beach's Apples of New York (1905), vols 1 and 2:
http://www.archive.org/details/applesofnewyork01beaciala
http://www.archive.org/details/applesofnewyork02beaciala

Unfortunately, the other books of the New York series are still not
available. I guess this is just a question of time.


For the grape growers:

Manual of American grape-growing 
Hedrick, U.P., New York: The Macmillan company, 1919 
http://www.archive.org/details/manualofamerican00hedrrich

Foundations of American grape culture 
Munson, T. V. (Thomas Volney) (1843-1913), New York: Orange Judd company,
c1909.
http://www.archive.org/details/foundationsofame00munsrich


Classic antique american fruit books:

A view of the cultivation of fruit trees, and the management of
orchards and cider; with accurate descriptions of the most estimable
varieties of native and foreign apples, pears, peaches, plums, and
cherries, cultivated in the middle states of America: illustrated by
cuts of two hundred kinds of fruits of the natural size
William Coxe, Philadelphia 1817.
http://www.archive.org/details/viewofcultivatio00coxerich

The American orchardist; or, A practical treatise on the culture and
management of apple and other fruit trees, with observations on the
diseases to which they are liable, and their remedies. To which is added
the most approved method of manufacturing and preserving cider. Compiled
from the latest and most approved authorities, and adapted to the use of
American farmers
James Thacher, Boston 1822.
http://www.archive.org/details/americanorchardi00thacrich

The New England book of fruit : containing an abridgment of Manning's
descriptive catalogue of the most valuable varieties of the pear, apple,
peach, plum, and cherry, for New England culture. To which are added the
grape, quince, gooseberry, currant, and strawberry; with outlines of many
of the finest sorts of pears drawn from nature; with directions for
pruning, grafting, and general modes of culture 
Manning, Robert, (1784-1842), Salem : W. & S. B. Ives, 1847
http://www.archive.org/details/newenglandbookof00mannrich

The American fruit culturist, containing directions for the propagation and
culture of fruit trees, in the nursery, orchard, and garden, with
descriptions of the principal American and foreign varieties, cultivated in
the United States 
John Jacob Thomas (1810-95), Auburn, 1849
http://www.archive.org/details/americanfruitcult00thomrich


The following book mainly relate to cider:

Report on the results of investigations into cidermaking, carried out
on behalf of the Bath and West and Southern Counties Society in the
years 1893-1902
F.J. Lloyd, Londres 1903
http://www.archive.org/details/reportonresultso00grearich


English books of interest:

Fruit and its cultivation; the cultivation of all kinds of hardy fruits in
garden and orchard... 
Sanders, T. W. (Thomas William) (1855-1926), London: W. H. & L.
Collingridge, 1919
http://www.archive.org/details/fruititscultivat00sandrich

Apples & pears 
Bunyard, George, London; Edinburgh, T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1911, 115 pp.
http://www.archive.org/details/applespears00bunyrich


Miscellaneous other books of interest:

Cyclopedia of hardy fruits 
Hedrick, U.P., New York : The Macmillan company, 1922 
http://www.archive.org/details/cyclopediaofhard00hedrrich


The cherry, together with reports and papers on pear, plum, peach, grape,
and small fruit 
American Pomological Society, Ithaca, N. Y., 1905 
http://www.archive.org/details/cherrytogetherwi00amerrich


Plums and plum culture; a monograph of the plums cultivated and indigenous
in North America 
Waugh, Frank A. (Frank Albert), New York : Orange Judd company, 1901 
http://www.archive.org/details/plumsplumculture00waugiala


New products of the trees; a treatise on Luther Burbank's late
introductions. 1908-1909: The Formosa, Gaviota and Vesuvius plum,
1907-1908: The Paradox and Royal black walnut, the Santa Rosa plum and the
Rutland plumcot .. 
Fancher Creek Nurseries, Fresno, 1909?
http://www.archive.org/details/newproductsoftre00fancrich


Pear growing in California 
Weldon, Geo. P., (George Percival), 1880-?, 1918 
http://www.archive.org/details/peargrowingincal00weldrich


Good reading to all...
Claude