Fruits

First edition, folio (330 x 210 mm), 3 parts in one, [2], 36; [4], 70; [4], 87, [5]pp., three separate title-pages within border of type ornaments, 39 engraved folding plates of fruits, all with bright contemporary hand-colouring, several related notes in ink to front free-endpaper, cont. half calf, paper covered boards (peeled away from upper cover), uncut. Johann Hermann Knoop (1700-1769), carried out much of his botanical research whilst curator of the gardens of Princess Maria Louisa in Leeuwarden. He broke new ground in the study of fruit varieties and he is regarded as the father of pomology. The first two part are devoted to the kitchen garden, the first part is illustrated with 20 splendid full-page engraved plates with hand-colouring, 12 are apples, 8 of pears, all showing several varieties, each labelled with its time of ripening, many for species now lost. The second has 19 engraved plates with contemporary hand-colouring showing peaches, plums, cherries, berries, etc. Part three is devoted to the cultivation of the garden and was issued un-illustrated. The fruit monographs are among the earliest books on the subject to be illustrated with coloured plates. Knoop himself made the original drawings, which were engraved by Jan C. Philips (1700-1773) or Jacob Folkema (1692-1767). Landwehr, Dutch Books with Coloured Plates, 88 (I) & 92 (II); Nissen, 1078 (I) & 1077 (II); Pritzel, 4754-4755.