1857 The AMERICAN FRUIT CULTURIST by John Thomas, Illustrated, for deals Nursery Orchard & Garden

"The American Fruit Culturist" by John Thomas. 1857; Miller, Orton & Co.; New York. The book is profusely illustrated with 300 "accurate figures." Elaborately decorated front and back covers with gilt illustrations and lettering on the spine. "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." There are 6 pages of ads at the back. The contents are grouped into the following 2 parts: General Principles and Practices; The Different Kinds of Fruits (apple, pear, quince, peach, apricot, plum, cherry, gooseberry, currant, raspberry, strawberry, grape).

From the Preface: "(The book's) object is two-fold - first, to furnish such rules for cultivation and management as shall enable every one to secure the highest excellence and the most abundant crops; and secondly, to give distinct descriptions of the hundreds of sorts which have been widely and profusely scattered through the country, and to point out the good from the bad, and the genuine from the spurious."

Here are a few examples of the contents: Circulation of the Sap; Propagation by Grafting; Transplanting; Renovating Old Orchards; Pruning; Cultivation of the Soil...and much more.

Condition:
Clean covers; the gilt lettering on the spine has dulled; sharp corners. There is a "Jamaica Plain High School" ink stamp on the front end paper, an elaborate Harvard University label affixed to the front pastedown, and an ID label on the spine. Tight binding with no cracks and no loose pages. The pages are mostly clean with only deals some occasional light foxing (though heavier foxing on the end papers, frontispiece and title page). Overall the book is in very good condition.