Calhouns Nursery

A book that became an instant classic when it first appeared in 1995, Old Southern Apples is an indispensable reference for fruit lovers everywhere, especially those who live in the southern United States. Out of print for several years, this newly revised and expanded edition now features descriptions of some 1,800 apple varieties that either originated in the South or were widely grown there before 1928. Author Lee Calhoun was one of the foremost figures in apple conservation in America. This masterwork reflects his knowledge and personal experience over more than thirty years, as he sought out and grew hundreds of classic apples, including both legendary varieties (like Nickajack and Magnum Bonum) and little-known ones (like Buff and Cullasaga). Representing our common orchard heritage, many of these apples are today at risk of disappearing from our national table. Illustrated with more than 120 color images of classic apples from the National Agricultural Library’s collection of watercolor paintings, Old Southern Apples is a fascinating and beautiful reference and gift book. In addition to A-to-Z descriptions of apple varieties, both extant and extinct, Calhoun provides a brief history of apple culture in the South, and includes practical information on growing apples and on their traditional uses.

“Anna Calhoun Clemson was John C. Calhoun’s favorite child. After reading Ann Russell’s biography based on Anna’s letters, one finds it easy to understand why. The product of a famous family and an exceptional woman, Anna was also, as Russell ably demonstrates, very much “a southern lady.” Her story—her “life’s journey,” as Calhoun told his daughter her life would be–gives us a glimpse of an important southern family, of southern womanhood, of heartbreak and difficulty, of a nation torn apart by sectional conflict. Like Mary Chesnut’s famous diary, Anna’s letters, the crux of Russell’s study, provide us with a rich, detailed picture of southern life, both personal and public.”

Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory is an essential reference for all backyard fruit growers and commercial orchardists who care about the rich diversity of fruit, berry, and nut varieties offered by mail-order nurseries in the United States. This comprehensive catalog of catalogs is now available in its newly updated Third Edition, which lists 280 nurseries that offer nearly 6,000 varieties of fruits, berries, and nuts-everything from apples and bananas to tangerines and walnuts.There's nothing sexy here, no color photographs or quaint illustrations. But the information presented in this book is so unique and invaluable that fruit growers everywhere will turn to it again and again, looking for sources that offer rare nineteenth-century apples, or for descriptions of newly bred grapes, or even for unusual varieties of tropical fruits. Where else could you find sources for Maiden Blush apple (1817), African Rhino Horn banana, Leningrad Giant currant, Adriatic fig, Pineapple grape, Dr. Beaumont macadamia, Choctaw pecan, or Yellow Egg plum?Backyard and commercial growers concerned with the loss of biodiversity will deeply appreciate the Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory, Fruit breeders, plant collectors, and amateur growers can quickly tell which varieties are being offered by only one or two companies and need to be purchased, while sources still exist, and permanently maintained to prevent being lost forever. Everything commercially available can be scanned to find varieties perfect for specific climates, or resistant to local diseases and pests. Northern and high-altitude growers can use the book to find exceptionally hardy, short-season varieties that will survive and mature in theirlocations. Orchards, nurseries, and botanical gardens can use it to find sources for unique plant material.The fruits, berries, and nuts available today are the result of centuries of collection and amateur development, further refined by the world's finest breeding programs. Growers and breeders have developed regionally adapted varieties with superior taste, disease resistance, and countless other virtues. Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory opens the orchard's gate and invites us to discover them.