Fruity Book the Pomona

The Oak Spring Garden Library: Pomona v.2: Pomona Vol 2 from Sandra Raphael describes selections of rare books and other material in the Oak Spring Garden Library, a collection formed by Mrs Paul Mellon.

This “Pomona” describes 100 books and manuscripts about fruit, with illustrations taken from some of the most beautiful books on the subject as well as from original drawings and paintings.

• The earliest book described is Bussato’s “Guardian di Agricoltura” of 1592, the latest “The Hereforshire Pomona” an encyclopedia of apples and pears from the 1870s.
• In between there are fruit books large and small – La Quintinie’s “Instruction pour les Jardins fruitiers”, Duhamel’s “Traite des Arbres fruitiers”, and many others.
• The book is divided into sections on fruit growing in France and Britain, fruit elsewhere in Europe, and fruit in America, as well as citrus fruit, apples and pears, peaches and soft fruit, grapes, melons, and tropical fruit. Each description gives the background of the book and its relationship to others and is accompanied by illustrations of its contents in color and black and white.
• The “Pomona” includes not only brief bibliographical summaries of each book but also background essays that place the books in an historical setting.

Who Was Pomona

• Pomona was a  Roman goddess, unusual in that she was never identified with any Greek counterpart. She was particularly associated with the blossoming of trees rather than with the harvest.
• Pomona protected and inspired the abundance of the fruitful gardens and orchards.
• In 19th-century statues and building decorations, Pomona is usually shown carrying either a large platter of fruit or a cornucopia.
• The Latin word, pomum, means “fruit” and probably gives its name to apples  or Pommes
• Pomona Fruits is a UK business selling all things fruity, a veritable garden fruit specialists.

The Oak Spring Garden Library: Pomona is our  Gardening Book of the Month February 2011