[Sca-cooks] Finding "period" Apples

[johnna holloway]

Barbara Benson (Serena da Riva) wrote: snipped---
> "In one of my Gardening Books "The Medieval Garden" there is a reference to
> documentation that shows that there were at least sixteen varieties of
> apples and pears grown in England during the thirteenth century."

If you like The Medieval Garden" you should check out John Harvey's
Mediaeval Gardens. London: B.T. Batsford, 1981. 0-7134-2395-1
---------------------------

> This was known early on in history and the art of grafting is an ancient
> one.
For an idea of what grafting could offer---
Mistress Kiri and I had the opportunity to tour the new exhibition at
the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on 3 April.
The Flowering of Florence: Botanical Art for the Medici,
3 March through 27 May 2002.  Featured prominently
among the selected artworks were two large c1700 paintings. One of
pears and one of lemons featuring the various varieties of these fruits
that were grown on the Medici country estates.
The lemons is at:
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2002/slideshow/slide-163-14.htm
The catalogue notes 'Bimbi's Citrus Fruits, which depicts 34
varieties of citrus, and Pears, 1699, which shows 115 different types
of pears. Both are examples of "inventories" painted for Cosimo III.
Among the horticultural "monstrosities" painted by Bimbi are
a Monstrous Cauliflower and Horseradish, 1706, and a life-size
Sunflower,1721."
The picture of pears was featured in a Washington Psot article
that has been reprinted across the country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25780-2002Mar27.html


Johnnae llyn Lewis   Johnna Holloway