Over the weekend I put out what I thought would be a quick and soon-to-vanish tweet, with a link to a database of fruit-related books that I’ve been compiling and curating for the past few years. Instead, the tweet in question has turned out to be quite popular by my modest standards, so I thought I’d mention the gist of it here as well, in case there are a few people on my email list who weren’t aware of its existence and might find a database of fruit books interesting.
Said database is available on Google Sheets, and you are more than welcome to access and view it via this link. Currently there are around 970 titles on the list, and I’m steadily adding new ones as I become aware of them. It includes everything from practical orchard management and domestic growing guides to gorgeously illustrated ‘pomona’ catalogues; historical nursery fruit lists to cider-making manuals; and a whole lot more on the history and culture of orchards in general. Publication dates range from the sixteenth century right up to the twenty-first. Where an online version of the book or document in question is available, I’ve provided a link.
Enjoy!