The Lost Fruit Books

Col. Wilder pear, p. 145

A certain nurseryman has told me often about some lost books about fruits with color illustrations of fruits. They were owned by his grandfather who died shortly before he was born. I finally looked them up to see if I could show him the books online. Here they are:

• The pears of New York By U. P. Hedrick, assisted by G. H. Howe, O. M. Taylor, E. H. Francis, H. B. Tukey.
• The plums of New York by U.P. Hedrick ; assisted by R. Wellington ... [et al.].
• The peaches of New York by U. P. Hedrick, assisted by G. H. Howe, O. M. Taylor, C. B. Turbergen.
•  The cherries of New York by U. P. Hedrick, assisted by G. H. Howe, O. M. Taylor, C. B. Tubergen, R. Wellington.
•  The grapes of New York by U.P. Hedrick, assisted by N.O. Booth ... [and others]
• The small fruits of New York (not online?)
• The Apples  of New York volume 1 and volume 2

A Large Pear of E.L. Beard

From Hutching's California Magazine,
November, 1856, volume 1, no. V

A LARGE PEAR.
"It must ever be a source of astonishment and gratification to Californians, that the prolific production of our soil is such as almost to challenge the world. Who could ever dream that in a country comparatively new, so much perfection has already been attained in the culture and growth of fruits, flowers and vegetables, as to give us, in a few brief years, advantages that are as yet unpossessed by older States.

Where, but in California, for instance, has there ever grown a pear of such proportions as that on an opposite page ?—its natural size, from a photograph taken by Mr. Garden, of Bradley's Daguerrean Gallery, near our office, and kindly loaned us for the purpose by Mrs. E. J. Weaver, of the Washington Market—weighing, as it does, two pounds twelve ounces avoirdupois, and is one of five, all nearly as large, from a very young tree in the orchard of Mr. Beard, Mission of San Jose; and gathered, too, before they were ripe, to be exhibited at the State Fair at San Jose, and were the largest offered for exhibition. Next month we shall find room for a more extended notice of some of the vegetable wonders that we have seen —the products of California soil."