Volume labelled 'Horticultural Society: Description of Apples'
Information
Title
Volume labelled 'Horticultural Society: Description of Apples'
Record type
Archive
Original Reference
RHS/Chk/6/1/1
Date
1818-1837
Scope & content
Manuscript volume comprising descriptions of varieties of apples, pears and grapes received by the Society in 1818-1837. Varieties of apple include June-eating, Sack and Sugar, Devonshire White Sour, Astrachan and Spring Grove Codlin. Varieties of pear include Brougham, Downton, Monarch, Belmont and Pengethley
Overview of contents:
Pages 1-155: very neat entries comprising name of apple, description of form, colour and flavour (eg russeted, little flavour), name of grower (eg John Wilmot, Louis Stoffels) and date, 1818-1821
Pages 156-191: rougher entries relating to pears, apples and grapes sent to the Society by Thomas Andrew Knight [President of the Horticultural Society of London], comprising number of specimen, description, print of fruit outlined in pen or pencil, and date, 1833-1837. Includes extracts from letters from Thomas Andrew Knight, relating to pears, apples, nectarines and grapes sent to the Society, with descriptions and comments
Pages 192-213: blank
Pages 214-236: index of names of apple varieties
A loose leaf at the rear of the volume comprises a list of varieties of pears
The arrangement is unclear as entries are not in chronological order
Pages 1-155 of the volume are written mostly rectos only with one note (page 61 verso) written on the verso. Pages 156-191 are written on both rectos and versos
The volume has the original foliation on the upper right-hand corner of rectos
References to some of the apple varieties received by the Society and described in the volume can be found in articles of 'Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London', volumes III-IV, including Kitchen Reinette from George Wilbraham, Early Julien from Hugh Ronalds and Wise Apple from Harry Stoe
Physical description: Bound in leather with marbled paper sides in blue/brown shell pattern with red/yellow veins. Labelled 'Horticultural Society. Description of Apples'. Dimensions: 32 (h) x 21.5 (w) x 4 (d) cm
Condition: Fragile, tight binding, and spine is detached. Pages are robust. Handle with care