Practical Pomology: A Field Guide *PRE-ORDER*

expected to ship Feb 15th - 25 copies available for pre-sale

Practical Pomology: A Field Guide

Apples are everywhere; so are books about apples. But despite the extraordinary quantity and quality of tomes about pomes, no text has ever been printed that provides a comprehensive, systematic approach to describing and identifying historic varieties of apples—let alone one that condenses the foundational work by pomologists over the last couple of centuries into a simple-to-follow, practical resource for the expert and novice alike.

Practical Pomology: A Field Guide aims to fill that void. Across its pages, you will be taught how to recognize and differentiate between seedling and grafted trees; describe and classify the anatomical features of the apple; and identify and distinguish among the varieties most commonly found in historic orchards. It is a resource that can be pulled off the shelf when deciphering descriptions of lost varieties in antiquated texts and a portable manual you can toss in your backpack when heading out into the field. Whether you are new to pomology or an old hand at describing and identifying pomes, this book should prove to be an indispensable resource.

Practical Pomology is divided into three parts. 

The first section provides instruction on how to differentiate between seedling and grafted trees. Telling the difference between the two is an essential skill to develop, as seedling trees are totally unique (and therefore unidentifiable).

The second section outlines a taxonomical approach for recognizing and naming the various anatomical features of the apple. These features vary in critical, yet subtle, ways in different specimens and varieties.

The third section contains anatomical photographs of the thirty-four varieties that most commonly grow in historic orchards. These photographs will serve as an invaluable visual resource when trying to quickly identify apples in the field.

•  5.5” x 7.375”
• Designed to be durable enough to be used in the field and hold up to repeated use
• Laminated soft cover, rounded corners, and sewn, perfect binding
• Printed on EuroArt silk 80lb paper
• 150 pages

Sean Turley is an apple historian, photographer, cidermaker and forager and a former columnist for the Portland Press Herald, where he wrote about Maine’s vibrant apple culture. He is located in Portland, Maine. Sean maintains an ever-growing visual catalog of apples on Instagram under his nom de pome, The Righteous Russet. He is the author of Practical Pomology.